Selected Philosophical Writings (Oxford World's Classics) [Paperback]

Thomas Aquinas (Author), Timothy McDermott (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 20, 1998 | Series: Oxford World's Classics

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) saw religion as part of the natural human propensity to worship. His ability to recognize the naturalness of this phenomenon and simultaneously to go beyond it--to explore, for example, spiritual revelation--makes his work as fresh and readable today as it was seven centuries ago.
This accessible new translation offers thirty-eight substantial passages not only from the indispensable Summa Theologicae, but from many other works, fully illustrating the breadth and progression of Aquinas's philosophy. It is an ideal introduction to this key figure in the philosophy of religion.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"All those teachers who wish to include Aquinas in their courses (whether of philosophy, history, or theology) will be in McDermott's debt.... by making available so rich a selection of Aquinas' writing, he puts [readers] into the best position to draw their own conclusions."--International Philosophical Quarterly

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (August 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192835858
• ISBN-13: 978-0192835857
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,132,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great Aquinas starting point, January 16, 2003

By 

Geoffrey S. Robinson (Haddon Heights, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Selected Philosophical Writings (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

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.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A model anthology, January 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Selected Philosophical Writings (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars St. Thomas for Beginners, August 21, 2004

By 

Carlos Quijano Jr. (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Selected Philosophical Writings (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

The best way to know the thought of a great thinker is to read what he wrote rather than what others wrote about what they think he wrote. For St. Thomas, to learn about the world is to take a peek into the mind of God. The collection of texts in this book give a great sense of what he thought about our world, its structure and our place in it. Just enough to whet your appetite for more.