Thomas Aquinus Fourth Way Argument from Graduation of Being

Thomas Aquinas's Fourth way is the 'Argument from Graduation of Being'. It is as follows

Thomas Aquinas said:

The Fourth Way: Argument from Gradation of Being
1. There is a gradation to be found in things: some are better or worse than others.
2. Predications of degree require reference to the “uttermost” case (e.g., a thing is said to be hotter according as it more nearly resembles that which is hottest).
3. The maximum in any genus is the cause of all in that genus.
4. Therefore there must also be something which is to all beings the cause of their being, goodness, and every other perfection; and this we call God.

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Is this argument reasonable and rational? What are the weaknesses of this argument? What are it's strengths? Do you find this argument convincing, if so, why? If not, why not?

I found this one hardest to understand and had to read it many times. After pondering for some days here are my thoughts-
Gradation means degrees of something, like degrees fahrenheit. However in point 1 he uses the term "better or worse", implying more than simply physical degrees of measure.
Point # 2 held me up for some time, "Predications of degree require reference to the uttermost case." Now I think he means, the various degrees of a thing measured as better or worse are in relation to the thing when it is uttermost, meaning when it is pure. Like for example, pure gold vs. gold that is contaminated by other alloys. We measure the purity in terms of degrees relative to the thing that is most pure.
Point # 3 held me up for a time but it is clear what he means by it now, if you agree with point 2. Thomas Aquinas used fire in his writing as an analogy of the cause for all things that are hot, because (to his knowledge) fire is the hottest of all things. We know that's not true of course, nor is fire the origin of all forms of heat by any means. But in relation to the concept of purity, or with the gold example, it is a very simple phrase to get. He's saying that things which are perfect are at the topmost level as the origin all which follows, and the resulting dilution of purity leads to degrees of "better or worse".

His conclusion in point # 4 then takes the above general observation and applies it to human existence. The cause of being, goodness and other perfections (clarifies when I said 'purity' earlier) all have their origin in a metaphysical ideal.

This one was harder for me to understand, but it is quite different from the others and the best one, in my opinion.

RAMOSS said:

Thomas Aquinas's Fourth way is the 'Argument from Graduation of Being'. It is as follows



Is this argument reasonable and rational? What are the weaknesses of this argument? What are it's strengths? Do you find this argument convincing, if so, why? If not, why not?

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Thank you for posting this Ramoss.

I would call this one the weakest one of all the proofs of God because it is based purely on the speculation that there exists something that is superior to everything else and this something whatever it is therefore is God.

Space aliens could have put us here, and then they could have died off.

This 4th proof of God would not account for the space aliens other than to say there must be higher space aliens too. But that would be a mere speculation.

This 4th proof of God is weak because it requires an almost infinite array of speculative beings.

However in this 4th proof of God, Aquinas comes very close to Descartes' own proof of God: life is good to me and so someone has been good to me and this someone is God.