“that which is known of God is manifest in them. For God hath manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of Him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; His eternal power also, and divinity…” (Rom 1:19-20).
he was thinking not only of scientifically elaborated or specifically philosophical ways of establishing the existence of God. He had in mind also and above all the natural knowledge of the existence of God to which the vision of created things leads the reason of every man, philosopher or not….It is natural not only in the sense that it belongs to the rational order rather than to the supernatural order of faith, but also in the sense that it is “prephilosophical” and proceeds by the natural or, so to speak, instinctive manner proper to the first apperceptions of the intellect prior to every philosophical or scientifically rationalized elaboration.
Before entering into the sphere of completely formed and articulated knowledge, in particular the sphere of metaphysical knowledge, the human mind is indeed capable of a prephilosophical knowledge which is “virtually metaphysical”. Therein is found the first, the primordial way of approach through which men become aware of the existence of God.”
~Jacques Maritain: Approaches to God, Chap. 1.
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