Thomas Aquinas And His Predecessors

Thomas Aquinas and His Predecessors takes us on a voyage through the history of philosophical thought as present in the works of Thomas Aquinas. It is a synthetic presentation of the works and thought of the great predecessors of Aquinas, as he kne

Keen to learn but short on time? Get to grips with the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas in next to no time with this concise guide. 50Minutes.com provides a clear and engaging analysis of the life, work and ideas of the medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas. Unlike many of his influential predecessors, Aquinas believed that reason and faith are not separate and incompatible, but rather are two ways of attaining knowledge of God. He was a prolific commentator on the Bible and the writings of Aristotle, and some of his works, including in particular his masterpiece the Summa theologiae, continue to form the basis of Catholic doctrine over 700 years after his death. In many ways, Aquinas was far ahead of his time: his views on personal and political morality emphasised the importance of individual freedom, and even paved the way for later democratic and secular ideas. He was canonised in 1323 and made a Doctor of the Church in 1567. In just 50 minutes you will: • Learn about the intellectual context in which Aquinas was working and the earlier philosophers who influenced his writings • Discover Aquinas’s main works, including the Summa theologiae and the Summa contra gentiles, and the key ideas of Thomist thought • Understand the continuing influence of Aquinas’s work within the Catholic Church ABOUT 50MINUTES.COM | History & Culture 50MINUTES.COM will enable you to quickly understand the main events, people, conflicts and discoveries from world history that have shaped the world we live in today. Our publications present the key information on a wide variety of topics in a quick and accessible way that is guaranteed to save you time on your journey of discovery.

In this final edition of his classic study of St. Thomas Aquinas, Etienne Gilson presents the sweeping range and organic unity of Thomistic philosophical thought. Gilson demonstrates that Aquinas drew from a wide spectrum of sources in the development of his thought—from Aristotle, to the Arabic and Jewish philosophers of his time, as well as from Christian writers. What results is an insightful introduction to the thought of Aquinas and the Scholastic philosophy of the Middles Ages. Praise for The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas “As the only English version of any edition of Le Thomisme, and therefore for years a kind of manual for North American students approaching Aquinas, the book deserves recirculation. With it appears the masterful ‘Catalogue of St. Thomas’ works’ prepared by the Rev. I. T. Eschmann to accompany Shook's translation and available nowhere else. . . . Its overview of principles and conclusions in the history of the texts has not been surpassed.”—The Philosophical Quarterly “[This volume presents] L. K. Shook's English translation of the final version of the late Etienne Gilson's (1884-1978) classic overview of the Christian philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. . . . Gibson was one of the pioneers, in the early part of [the twentieth] century, of medieval philosophy in general and the work of Aquinas in particular. He sought to restore the study of Aquinas’ texts an historical sensitivity, thus rescuing them from the near canonical status accorded in the well-intentioned but inhabiting late nineteenth-century palpal revival of Thomistic studies and preserved in the so-called ‘manual theology’ of the seminar curriculum. . . . The endnotes are an invaluable resource, as is the still unsurpassed catalogue of Aquinas’ works compiled by Eschmann and included as an invaluable appendix here.”—Theological Book Review

The Summa Theologica is one of the most influential and comprehensive works of medieval philosophy and theology. Written by St. Thomas Aquinas, a brilliant theologian and scholastic philosopher, it covers a wide range of topics, from the existence and nature of God to the moral and political implications of human actions. In this voluminous text, Aquinas develops his famous arguments for the existence of God, the immortality of the soul, and the natural law theory, among other doctrines. He also engages with the works of his predecessors and contemporaries, such as Aristotle, Augustine, and Avicenna. Today, the Summa Theologica remains a key reference for scholars and students of philosophy, theology, and intellectual history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

An Intellectual History of Psychology, already a classic in its field, is now available in a concise new third edition. It presents psychological ideas as part of a greater web of thinking throughout history about the essentials of human nature, interwoven with ideas from philosophy, science, religion, art, literature, and politics. Daniel N. Robinson demonstrates that from the dawn of rigorous and self-critical inquiry in ancient Greece, reflections about human nature have been inextricably linked to the cultures from which they arose, and each definable historical age has added its own character and tone to this long tradition. An Intellectual History of Psychology not only explores the most significant ideas about human nature from ancient to modern times, but also examines the broader social and scientific contexts in which these concepts were articulated and defended. Robinson treats each epoch, whether ancient Greece or Renaissance Florence or Enlightenment France, in its own terms, revealing the problems that dominated the age and engaged the energies of leading thinkers. Robinson also explores the abiding tension between humanistic and scientific perspectives, assessing the most convincing positions on each side of the debate. Invaluable as a text for students and as a stimulating and insightful overview for scholars and practicing psychologists, this volume can be read either as a history of psychology in both its philosophical and aspiring scientific periods or as a concise history of Western philosophy’s concepts of human nature.