A First Glance at St. Thomas Aquinas: A Handbook for Peeping Thomists

Thomism is solidly based on the assumption that we know the world first through our senses and then through concepts formed on the basis of our sense experience. In this informally discursive introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas, Ralph McInerny shows how this basic assumption contrasts with dominant modern alternative views and is developed by Thomas into a coherent view of ourselves, of knowledge, and of God.

McInerny first places Thomism in context within philosophical inquiry, discussing the relationship between philosophy and theology, and between modern and classical views of philosophy. He then describes the challenges Thomas faced with the introduction of Aristotle’s works into the Christian West. The reader is subsequently guided through such key concepts as art, nature, causes, and motion and shown how Thomas used these concepts to resolve the problems presented by Aristotle.

Each chapter is tied to a specific Thomistic text, providing a sample froma number of Thomas’s works. In addition to articles from both Summas, there are sections from the Disputed Questions and the Commentaries, among others. McInerny also provides an annotated list of the writings of Thomas available in English. Bibliographical notes provivded by the author, grouped by subject and following his general chapter divisions, will be particularly helpful for further reading.

Ralph McInerney shows how the basic assumptions of Thomism contrast with dominant modern alternative views.

Ralph McInerney shows how the basic assumptions of Thomism contrast with dominant modern alternative views.

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These 16/32-bit single chip digital signal processors offer an inexpensive alternative to custom VLSI and multichip bit-slice processors for many applications. Thomism is based on the assumption that we know the world first through concepts formed on the basics of sensory experience. McInerny (medieval studies, U. of Notre Dame) shows how this assumption contrasts with dominant modern alternative views, and is developed by Thomas into a coherent view of ourselves, of knowledge, and of God. Better than the cocktail party-title would suggest. Cloth edition (unseen), $19.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Ralph McInerny (1929–2010) was Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies and director emeritus of the Jacques Maritain Center, University of Notre Dame. He was the author of numerous works in philosophy, literature, fiction, and journalism, including The Very Rich Hours of Jacques Maritain, Characters in Search of Their Author, and his autobiography, I Alone Have Escaped to Tell You, all published by the University of Notre Dame Press.