Customer Reviews

Ethica Thomistica Revised

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McInerny offers a fine introduction to the ethics of Thomas Aquinas in this volume. While not a large book by any means, it is packed with information that is very valuable for one trying to understand the ethical principles of Aquinas. McInerny discusses natural law and the alleged "naturalistic fallacy", the difference between real and apparent goods, the notion of the Ultimate End as argued by Aristotle and Aquinas, the Thomistic structure of the human act (a series of will-acts of both the order of intention and the order of execution)the role of ignorance in human action, the Cardinal Virtues, and finally how conscience plays into all of the above (a conscience always binds but doesn't always excuse).

I have read this book over three times and find it very profitable. Having read this work first, I discovered that when I picked up Aquinas' Commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics, I was a "leg up" on the material and felt as if McInerny's work prepared me for it very well - as it summarizes the Nicomachean Ethics very nicely.

Contrary to what some have said, this is actually an excellent book, whether you want to learn thomistic ethics specifically, or Aristotelian theory in general. McInerny is very precise and clear, and gives many healthy examples and analogies to make his point. Before reading this book I had very little understanding of the main concepts of thomistic ethics, and I was confused by all these notions of "forms", "ends" and whatnot. McInerny made it easy to understand what thomists mean when they use these examples. Moreover, he applies these the ethical framework to real life cases and gives examples. Another thing about this book is that it does not get bogged down in exegesis of "what St. Thomas meant" or "what the right interpretation is." Overall, I recommend this book. It presents a plausible, comprehensive, and clear approach to Saint Thomas' moral philosophy.

I gave up on "Ethica Thomistica" 2/3 of the way through. Individual parts are excellent, but, overall, I didn't find the book to be helpful or beginner-friendly. The presentation is disorganized, terms are introduced without proper definitions, Thomas' ethical thought isn't related to his broader metaphysics, and close analysis of texts is surprisingly rare. McInerny also grinds an annoying Catholic ax, as when he complains that Catholic Supreme Court justices aren't "Catholic enough" or when he insists that the sole legitimate purpose of sex is reproduction. Not recommended.

This little book is neither a good introduction nor clear. To his credit, unlike other scholars writing on the topic of Thomistic moral philosophy, McInerny does not use technical or rare words in which to impress others with his knowledge. However, he writes in question form and somewhat like he is trying to write a work of fiction, not philosophy. His sentences are hard to follow. Again, it is not a matter of depth. He is not speaking over anyone's head... He has kept his ideas simple in attempts to make them available to the general public. However, if one does not already possess a working knowledge of Natural Law, then one is very likely to get confused by his writing style, in which one could get lost in his little scenerios and rhetorical type questions leaving the beginner wondering what exactly the point is. If you are a beginner and really want a good introduction, then I recommend, "Thomistic Renaissance - The Natural Moral Law" by Rev. John Trigilio, Jr.

This book is a straight forward introduction to aquinian phylosophy. I was first introduced to it reading the autobiography of Pope Paul. Where it was refered to frequently. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the subject but doesn't want to get bogged down with a lot of details. Snt Thomas's phylosophy is Aristotal's concept of natural law from a Christian perspective.