Overview

This volume contains new translations of the essential philosophical writings of Thomas Aquinas from the Summa Theologiae and The Principles of Nature. The included texts represent the breadth of Aquinas’s thought, addressing: the fundamental principles of nature; causality; the existence of God; how God can be known; how language can be used to describe God; human nature (including the nature of the soul, free will, and epistemology); happiness; ethics; and natural law. The goal of these translations is twofold: to allow Aquinas to speak for himself, but also to make his thought accessible to the contemporary reader without the burden of unnecessary adherence to convention. A thorough yet accessible introduction is included, as are a series of useful appendices connecting Aquinas’s arguments to those of Anselm, Scotus, and others.

Full Product Details

Author:   Steven Baldner
Publisher:   Broadview Press Ltd
Imprint:   Broadview Press Ltd
Dimensions:   Width: 14.00cm , Height: 1.20cm , Length: 21.60cm
Weight:   0.280kg
ISBN:  

9781554813728

ISBN 10:   1554813727
Pages:   256
Publication Date:   30 November 2018
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Introduction Thomas Aquinas: A Brief Chronology Part 1: The Principles of Nature Chapter 1: The Three Principles Chapter 2: Privation and Matter Chapter 3: The Four Causes Chapter 4: Relations among the Four Causes Chapter 5: The Modes of the Causes Chapter 6: The Predication of Terms Part 2: God (Texts from Summa theologiae I) A. Theology and Philosophy B. The Existence of God C. Properties of God D. Analogy: Language about God Part 3: Human Nature (Texts from Summa theologiae I) A. Soul and Body B. Will and Choice C. Knowledge Part 4: Ethics (Texts from Summa theologiae I-II) A. The Goal: Happiness B. Voluntary Actions C. The Moral Goodness of Human Acts D. Habits and Virtues E. Law and Natural Law Appendix 1: Anselm's Argument Appendix 2: Bonaventure on God Appendix 3: Scotus' Proof of God Appendix 4: Ockham on God Appendix 5: Descartes's Ontological Argument Appendix 6: Scotus on Immortality Appendix 7: Ockham on Soul Appendix 8: Scotus on Will Appendix 9: Ockham on Will Bibliography

Reviews

Steven Baldner has put together an excellent introduction to the philosophical thought of Thomas Aquinas. He succeeds both in helping first-time readers past the challenges of Thomas's technical language and in providing a substantial offering of his thought. With a very readable and informative introduction to Thomas's life and works, Baldner prepares the way for a presentation of key philosophical writings. To aid the first-time reader, Baldner has provided a lively translation (free but accurate) and a student-friendly editing of the texts to assure maximum ease and accuracy of comprehension. This book will do a lot to bring the brilliance of Thomas Aquinas to a new generation of readers. Well done! -- Montague Brown, St. Anselm College

Steven Baldner has put together an excellent introduction to the philosophical thought of Thomas Aquinas. He succeeds both in helping first-time readers past the challenges of Thomas's technical language and in providing a substantial offering of his thought. With a very readable and informative introduction to Thomas's life and works, Baldner prepares the way for a presentation of key philosophical writings. To aid the first-time reader, Baldner has provided a lively translation (free but accurate) and a student-friendly editing of the texts to assure maximum ease and accuracy of comprehension. This book will do a lot to bring the brilliance of Thomas Aquinas to a new generation of readers. Well done! -- Montague Brown, St. Anselm College The need for a new volume of selections from the works of Aquinas could easily be doubted, but reviewing Steven Baldner's Basic Philosophical Writing quiets one's skepticism in this regard. This judgment is owing to a number of student-friendly features, most importantly the very readable biography and the introduction, which pulls together the various texts into a manageable whole. Other notable properties of this volume are the brief lexicon of technical terms used by Aquinas; a 'cast of characters, ' namely, short entries on the philosophers and theologians whose work Aquinas refers to; and a selection of 'contrasting texts, ' for example, both Descartes and Anselm on proving God's existence. -- Mary Catherine Sommers, University of St. Thomas

“Steven Baldner has put together an excellent introduction to the philosophical thought of Thomas Aquinas. He succeeds both in helping first-time readers past the challenges of Thomas’s technical language and in providing a substantial offering of his thought. With a very readable and informative introduction to Thomas’s life and works, Baldner prepares the way for a presentation of key philosophical writings. To aid the first-time reader, Baldner has provided a lively translation (free but accurate) and a student-friendly editing of the texts to assure maximum ease and accuracy of comprehension. This book will do a lot to bring the brilliance of Thomas Aquinas to a new generation of readers. Well done!” — Montague Brown, St. Anselm College “The need for a new volume of selections from the works of Aquinas could easily be doubted, but reviewing Steven Baldner’s Basic Philosophical Writing quiets one’s skepticism in this regard. This judgment is owing to a number of student-friendly features, most importantly the very readable biography and the introduction, which pulls together the various texts into a manageable whole. Other notable properties of this volume are the brief lexicon of technical terms used by Aquinas; a ‘cast of characters,’ namely, short entries on the philosophers and theologians whose work Aquinas refers to; and a selection of ‘contrasting texts,’ for example, both Descartes and Anselm on proving God’s existence.” — Mary Catherine Sommers, University of St. Thomas “Baldner’s volume is a worthy addition to the already burgeoning market of edited collections of Aquinas’s writings. The fluency of Baldner’s translation, the accessible formatting of the selections from the Summa Theologiae, his excellent introductory material, and useful appendices make this volume an invaluable resource for those encountering the thought of St. Thomas for the first time.” — Fr. Justin Gable, Teaching Philosophy

Steven Baldner has put together an excellent introduction to the philosophical thought of Thomas Aquinas. He succeeds both in helping first-time readers past the challenges of Thomas's technical language and in providing a substantial offering of his thought. With a very readable and informative introduction to Thomas's life and works, Baldner prepares the way for a presentation of key philosophical writings. To aid the first-time reader, Baldner has provided a lively translation (free but accurate) and a student-friendly editing of the texts to assure maximum ease and accuracy of comprehension. This book will do a lot to bring the brilliance of Thomas Aquinas to a new generation of readers. Well done! -- Montague Brown, St. Anselm College The need for a new volume of selections from the works of Aquinas could easily be doubted, but reviewing Steven Baldner's Basic Philosophical Writing quiets one's skepticism in this regard. This judgment is owing to a number of student-friendly features, most importantly the very readable biography and the introduction, which pulls together the various texts into a manageable whole. Other notable properties of this volume are the brief lexicon of technical terms used by Aquinas; a 'cast of characters, ' namely, short entries on the philosophers and theologians whose work Aquinas refers to; and a selection of 'contrasting texts, ' for example, both Descartes and Anselm on proving God's existence. -- Mary Catherine Sommers, University of St. Thomas Baldner's volume is a worthy addition to the already burgeoning market of edited collections of Aquinas's writings. The fluency of Baldner's translation, the accessible formatting of the selections from the Summa Theologiae, his excellent introductory material, and useful appendices make this volume an invaluable resource for those encountering the thought of St. Thomas for the first time. -- Fr. Justin Gable, Teaching Philosophy

Author Information

Steven Baldner is Professor of Philosophy at St. Francis Xavier University.

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