Aquinas on Friendship (Oxford Philosophical Monographs) [Hardcover]

Daniel Schwartz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0199205396 | ISBN-13: 978-0199205394

Daniel Schwartz examines the views on friendship of the great medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas. For Aquinas friendship is the ideal type of relationship that rational beings should cultivate. Schwartz argues that Aquinas fundamentally revises some of the main features of Aristotle's paradigmatic account of friendship so as to accommodate the case of friendship between radically unequal beings: man and God. As a result, Aquinas presents a broader view of friendship than Aristotle's, allowing for a higher extent of disagreement. lack of mutual understanding, and inequality between friends.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The book has a lot of merit... The reasoning applied th these issues is closely spun, in the best analytic style, and also conscientiously persistent. James McEvoy, American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly With Aquinas on Friendship Daniel Schwartz has made a most impressive and unquestionably significant contribution not only to the recent philosophical and theological literature on friendship, but also to scholarship on Aquinas. The respect and care with which he explores key passages on friendship throughout the work of Aquinas results in a book that is a treasure for anyone interested in discovering that there is much more in Aquinas on friendship than his treatise on charity in the Summa Theologiae. Moreover, Schwartz's research demonstrates that one can find in Aquinas an understanding of friendship that is both immensely hopeful and comforting. Paul J. Wadell, Modern Theology Not only does this study ably present us with interactions with Aquinas's views on friendship, but it also suggests a number of points of contemporary resonance...a surprisingly stimulating book. Philip McCosker, Theology, Ethics and Philosophy Schwartz has made a welcome contribution to the growing literature on Aquinas's ethics, and his book will be a good resource for those interested in Aquinas's views on friendship. Michael Rota, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews a penetrating study Richard Cross, Times Literary Supplement Schwartz's eight concise chapters are among the most refreshing and original studies of Aquinas in recent years. Bryn Mawr Classical Review

About the Author

David Schwartz is Lecturer in Politics in the School of Languages & Social Sciences at Aston University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (May 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199205396
• ISBN-13: 978-0199205394
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,498,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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