Aquinas's Fifth Way

[Surgenator]

1: Things (composites of material and form) remain as they are and do not change unless an external influence or power within themselves acts, i.e. a cause or reason.

Disagree. Nuclear decays have no external forces on them that forces them to decay.

2: The regularity of efficient causation requires that causes be determined to particular effects; such that, when, in the absence of a countervailing influence, cause C is directed to effect E, then C tends to have E as a result.

3: An efficient cause is an actualizing event that tends toward a specific end, that is to say, cause C attains effect E by means of intentionality.

"Intentionality" is the wrong word to use here. Intentionality suggest forethought which is not always the case. For example, a faulty wire does not think "i'll burn the house down" before it causes it.

4: Intentionality is characteristic of intelligent agency.

5: Unthinking causes do not have within themselves the power to intend toward regular effects.

Please define regular effects.

6: Therefore, some intelligent agent directs unthinking causes toward their effects.

I think that’s pretty good modern summary, but I’m open to suggestions.

Your premice 3, is the conclusion you reach in 6, because you demand that causes have forethought.