In one of his proofs for the existence of God, Aquinas says, "Among beings there are some more and some less good, true, noble and the like. But more and less are predicated of different things, according as they resemble in their different ways." This proof relies on the idea that there is a life force that is found in things."

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Aquinas's argument, often referred to as the Argument from Degree or the Fourth Way in his "Five Ways" to prove the existence of God, does not rely on the idea of a life force found in things. Instead, it is based on the observation of gradation in qualities (like goodness, truth, nobility) among beings and posits that there must be a maximum or ultimate source of these qualities, which he identifies as God.

In One of His Proofs for the Existence of God