Aquinas's Summa Theologiae: Critical EssaysBrian Davies Thomas Aquinas (1224/6-1274) was first and foremost a Christian theologian. Yet he was also one of the greatest philosophers of the Middle Ages. Drawing on classical authors, and incorporating ideas from Jewish and Arab sources, he came to offer a rounded and lasting account of the origin of the universe and of the things to be found within it, especially human beings. Aquinas wrote many works, but his greatest achievement is undoubtedly the Summa Theologiae. This presents his most mature thinking and is the best introduction to his philosophical (and theological) ideas. Few secondary books on Aquinas focus solely on the Summa, but the present volume does just that. Including work by some of the best Aquinas scholars of the last half decade, it provides a solid introduction to one of the landmarks of western thinking. |
Contents
The Setting of the Summa Theologiae | 1 |
Prelude to the Five Ways | 25 |
The Five Ways | 45 |
Form and Existence | 111 |
Aquinas on What God Is Not | 129 |
The Unity of Body and Soul | 145 |
The Nature of the Intellect | 177 |
The Immortality of the Soul | 195 |
Aquinass Account of Freedom Intellect and Will | 203 |
Habits and Virtues | 223 |
Natural Law Incommensurable Readings | 245 |
Suggested Readings | 265 |
About the Editor and Contributors | 269 |
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actu actually agent intellect aliquid Anthony Kenny Aquinas says Aquinas thinks Aquinas's account argues argument Aristotle Aristotle's autem bronze causality chapter Christian commentary conclusion Deus discussion distinction divine Dominican Dominican order efficient cause enim essence eternal law ethics example F-ness fact Five God's existence habits Herbert McCabe human Ia IIae individual insofar kind Lector Leon liberum arbitrium logical Maimonides matter means medieval Metaphysical Metaphysical Thought mind moral virtues motion moved mover natural law object ontological Orvieto Pasnau perfect philosophical possible potentiality predicate principle proposition quae question quod reason reference regard Santa Sabina Secunda Secundae secundum seems sense Socrates soul and body species Steenberghen STI-II substance substantial form Summa contra Gentiles Summa de Casibus Summa Theologiae teaching term Tertia theory things Thomas Aquinas Thomas's Thomist Thought of Thomas tion truth understanding unity University unmoved mover word