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Title: Selected Philosophical Writings (World's Classics) by Thomas Aquinas, Timothy S. McDermott, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Aquinas St ISBN: 0-19-282946-7 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: March, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: great Aquinas starting point
Comment: This book packs a lot of material. As an anthology, as the other reviewer has ably mentioned, this is wonderful. This book would be extremely useful to the student of Christian theology (Roman Catholic or Protestant) or to the student of historical philosophy. If you are studying the works of Aquinas for history, a few words of caution. A lot of his philosophy is based on Aristotle. If you do not understand basic Aristotle, this can be painful at times. "Actualize" and "potential" and sufficient causes, etc. will appear a lot. If you are unfamiliar with what this terminology means, you will have slow going. This is just a problem with some philosophy. Kant, another member of the big-5 team of greatest philosophers, also suffers from a language barrier to modern readers. But like Kant, you can still get a lot out of it.
The editor of this book has put in a lot of useful and wonderful theology of Aquinas. This is good b/c not many people believe in his metaphysics anymore. So his theology may have more modern usefullness. Given his influence over Western Christianity and Roman Catholicism in particular, Aquinas is definitely worth the read. One of the small gems (and unexpected) was a part of Aquinas' commentary on I Cor. 15. Sections on the Problem of Evil are in here as well. I was surprised, but glad, to see that the editor left in a section on the problem of using language to describe God. This was a typical 20th century problem. It's good to see that there aren't many new philosophical problems.
If you are just getting into Aquinas (and you have some background in philosophy) this is a good place to start. If you are interested in theology, there is much in here for you as well. Given the structure of the book, you do not have to read straight through.
Rating: 5
Summary: A model anthology
Comment: McDermott has provided the general reader with an excellent introduction to the substance of Aquinas's thought. Selections are taken from several works, not just the Summa Theologiae, and are arranged in an orderly manner that contributes much to the usefulness of this book. The first section discusses the division of the sciences; the second, ontology; the third, titled "The Ladder of Being," covers such topics as life and the soul, the senses, the mind, and the will. Following this come three large sections on God, filling more than half of the book. Each of the many passages begins with brief headnotes giving the origin of the passage, the philosophical genre to which it belongs, and translation notes on principal Latin terms. McDermott includes very little commentary of his own--Aquinas speaks for himself. The text is laid out very clearly with the judicious use of italics, brackets, and boldface type, all serving to clarify how Aquinas structured his arguments.
Recommended to anyone interested in Aquinas, but do not expect a condensed version of the Summa.
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Title: The Republic by Plato ISBN: 0486411214 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 18 April, 2000 List Price(USD): $2.50 |
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Title: The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (Oxford Paperback Reference) by Simon Blackburn ISBN: 0192831348 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: March, 1996 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: The Ethics of Aristotle: The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristoteles., Aristotle, J. K. Thomson ISBN: 0140440550 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: June, 1955 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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Title: The Politics by Aristotle, T.A. Sinclair, Trevor J. Saunders ISBN: 0140444211 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: June, 1992 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: The Last Days of Socrates: Euthyphro/Apology/Crito/Phaedo (Penguin Classics) by Plato, Hugh Tredennick, Harold Tarrant ISBN: 014044582X Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: February, 1995 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
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