DOCSLIB.ORG

An Introduction to the Life and Work of the Great Medieval Thinker Pdf, Epub, Ebook

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Introduction to the Life and Work of the Great Medieval Thinker Pdf, Epub, Ebook AQUINAS: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE GREAT MEDIEVAL THINKER PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Frederick C. Copleston | 272 pages | 25 Jul 1991 | Penguin Books Ltd | 9780140136746 | English | London, United Kingdom Aquinas: An Introduction to the Life and Work of the Great Medieval Thinker PDF Book You will embark on the intellectual ride of a lifetime in this But chapter 5 is the prize jewel. Perhaps Feser realized that he was supposed to be writing a "Beginner's Guide" and he had already devoted too many pages to metaphysics and psychology; so he quickly wrapped up the book with a quick and very incomplete survey of Thomistic ethics. Overall, as he remarks many times, Fr. But precisely because there is no matter to distinguish one angel in a species from another, "among these substances there cannot be many individuals of the same species. How to Change a Life. Steele Glenn rated it liked it Oct 08, P3: 'That which does not exist only begins to exist by something already existing' ST I. Philosophy is hard. A disappointing text. Community Reviews. It was well worth the time and effort and will undoubtedly work its way into my lectures on Aquinas. Is the glass ceiling that keeps women from advancing in their careers actually located in the home? The overarching argument behind the book is that Thomism remains viable and that those who dismiss Aquinas misunderstand what he actually means by certain terms as well as the kinds of arguments that he's actually making, and that those espousing modern philosophy often read those assumptions back into Aquinas. These set the groundwork for better understanding Aquinas' thought, and much of what is As many of the previous reviews have already indicated, although it says it is a beginner book, I would use this more to deepen my understanding of Aquinas' basic philosophy. But for Aquinas natural law derives from our nature as rational creatures, rational values should override the animal impulses in our nature. He holds a Ph. Historian Gary Lachman delivers a fascinating, rollicking biography of literary and cultural rebel Colin Wilson, one of the most adventurous, hopeful, and least understood intellects of the past century. Edward Feser. Read again. I cannot devise any meaningful criticism of or objections to this book. Copleston adopted a number of honorary roles throughout the remainder of his career. Much This is probably a really good book for many, but not for me. Litt in later years. So clear and readable. I've already happened to have read many uncommonly good books this year, but even among those, this is surely the best I've yet read. Life After Death. He, for example, helped clear up Anthony Kenny's objections to Aquinas's view of essence and hylemorphism. He also touches briefly on some of the "new atheists" treatment of Aquinas and, quite justly, refutes them as caricatures which demonstrate either a fundamental misunderstanding of basic principles or simple willful misrepresentations of what Thomas actually believes. If this was what Feser had in mind, then he should have made this clearer in the exposition of his argument. But Aquinas believes Christ asked us to aspire to more than 'animal' happiness, and offered us a new set of virtues to help: faith, hope and charity. But this is precisely what Kenny seems to be doing whenever he is yelling 'You are not a good enough Fregean! He also explains the difficult notion of how God is the only thing which has both essence and existence necessarily tied to one another, and the implications if that were not the case. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Add to Wishlist. Aquinas: An Introduction to the Life and Work of the Great Medieval Thinker Writer Read more Or to take an example often used to illustrate the Aristotelian conception of efficient causation we might think of a potter making a pot, where the potter's positioning his hand in just such-and-such a way and the pot's taking on such-and-such a shape are simultaneous, and, again, the same event described in two different ways. Aquinas's apprehension of God's goal for man came to me most clearly, not in the section on God and Creation, but in the section on Morality and Society, and Aquinas's account of Natural Law. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Copleston will give you the best resource and thing to obtain inspirations. Finally, I don't think I much like Feser whenever he talks about ethics, particularly due to his rather heavy-handed appeals to the Natural Law ethics. So clear and readable. If you want to deny Fregean essences wholesale, you must interact with their argumentative traditions. The war made it impossible for him to study for his doctorate, as once intended, at the Gregorian University in Rome, and instead Copleston was invited to return to Heythrop to teach the history of philosophy to the few remaining Jesuits there. But what about angels, which are supposed to be both distinct from one another and yet completely immaterial? Links to the syllabi and other sources used to create this list are at the end of the post. You know the saying: There's no time like the present His writing style is clear and elegant. This natural law pushes us towards a very specific form of utilitarianism, and scrubs out the deontological undertones of many moral judgements, which again could later prove problematic. Other editions. Just as water in conjunction with something else might be sufficient to produce a red puddle even if the water by itself wouldn't be, so too do the existing genetic material, the mutation, and environmental circumstances together generate a new biological variation even though none of these factors by itself would be sufficient to do so. Apr 26, Charles rated it liked it. The same goes for sexual reproduction where nature intends for us to engage in heterosexual intercourse to reproduce and it would be 'bad' to engage in other forms sexual activity like anal sex or masturbation I have some complaints about this. Eloise is happy with her life as a successful private chef. It will not bother you to cut your important time to opt for buying publication in store. Get A Copy. Unlike his multivolume history of philosophy, in this book Copleston seems to address chiefly general, laymen audiences, and does not have in mind Catholic seminary students as its foremost readership. Edward Feser. My favorite parts were his explanation of the fives ways and Aquinas' psychology souls, relation of soul with body. Discovered this book through Edward Feser's blog and it has been a worthy purchase. The most rational of philosophers, when they instinctively use images in processing ideas, show that they are not free from the senses. His lectures were published under the title Religion and the One, and were largely a metaphysical tract attempting to express themes perennial in his thinking and more personal than in his history. Thomas and Feser are clearly both very big brained. My dream was not to be. Devon rated it liked it Feb 26, This is great if your a seasoned philosopher looking to expand your horizons about the the thought of Medieval thinkers. Thomas Aquinas' philosophy and theology for anyone looking to get into the great mystic Saint. I adore Aquinas. Aquinas: An Introduction to the Life and Work of the Great Medieval Thinker Reviews Original Title. I read this introductory volume on Thomistic philosophy per recommendation by my spiritual director after expressing an interest to better understand philosophy. Feser succeeds best when he is discussing and motivating Aquinas' position on metaphysics. Lists with This Book. Daniel P Bell rated it really liked it Jan 03, No trivia or quizzes yet. Jeffrey Nichols rated it it was amazing Dec 17, And additionally, that Thomism offers a much more sensible, holistic explanation for matter and spiritual being - especially when combined with St. The Five Ways themselves are merely short statements of arguments that would already have been well known to the readers of Aquinas's day, and presented at greater length and with greater precision elsewhere. Copleston engages many of the philosophical topics in Aquinas of greatest interest to modern readers. Beyond the Robot: The Life and Work of. Average rating 4. The Daily Idea aims to make learning about philosophy as easy as possible by bringing together the best philosophy resources from across the internet. Chapter 3 is helpful as Feser lays ou Philosophy is hard. Aquinas' thoughts seemed impenetrable at first, but Feser has allowed me to scratch the surface of Thomistic philosophy. Christopher Waller rated it liked it Sep 03, Sep 09, Daniel rated it it was amazing Shelves: academy , catholicism , classics , history , lives , saints , theology , thomism. More filters. More filters. Feser does a great job of explaining how several contemporary philosophers have understood Thomas and, when necessary, charitably corrects their mistakes. For theists, this book is profound in that it allows one to appreciate that in the HERE and NOW we are need of an ultimate cause, that every movement, change, cause and effect has an explanation which we call God. All concepts explained fairly well except qualia and the problem of intentionality that I didn't understand well. Force-carriers do not travel from the point of contact to the rest of the surface instantaneously. He tackles Aquinas' metaphysics a topic that modern man should spend much time on but which is all too often ignored , his view of God and creation, and his anthropology.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Thomas Aquinas' Argument from Motion & the Kalām Cosmological
    University of Central Florida STARS Honors Undergraduate Theses UCF Theses and Dissertations 2020 Rethinking Causality: Thomas Aquinas' Argument From Motion & the Kalām Cosmological Argument Derwin Sánchez Jr. University of Central Florida Part of the Philosophy Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the UCF Theses and Dissertations at STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Undergraduate Theses by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Recommended Citation Sánchez, Derwin Jr., "Rethinking Causality: Thomas Aquinas' Argument From Motion & the Kalām Cosmological Argument" (2020). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 858. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/858 RETHINKING CAUSALITY: THOMAS AQUINAS’ ARGUMENT FROM MOTION & THE KALĀM COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT by DERWIN SANCHEZ, JR. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors in the Major Program in Philosophy in the College of Arts and Humanities and in the Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2020 Thesis Chair: Dr. Cyrus Zargar i ABSTRACT Ever since they were formulated in the Middle Ages, St. Thomas Aquinas’ famous Five Ways to demonstrate the existence of God have been frequently debated. During this process there have been several misconceptions of what Aquinas actually meant, especially when discussing his cosmological arguments. While previous researchers have managed to tease out why Aquinas accepts some infinite regresses and rejects others, I attempt to add on to this by demonstrating the centrality of his metaphysics in his argument from motion.
    [Show full text]
  • A Thomistic Understanding of Happiness
    The University of Notre Dame Australia ResearchOnline@ND Theses 2013 A Thomistic Understanding of Happiness Christian Stephens University of Notre Dame Australia Follow this and additional works at: https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses Part of the Religion Commons COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 WARNING The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further copying or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Do not remove this notice. Publication Details Stephens, C. (2013). A Thomistic Understanding of Happiness (Master of Philosophy (MPhil)). University of Notre Dame Australia. https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses/79 This dissertation/thesis is brought to you by ResearchOnline@ND. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of ResearchOnline@ND. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Thomistic Understanding of Happiness Master of Philosophy Thesis Christian Stephens th 8 August 2013 Feast of St Mary of the Cross I am deeply grateful to the Fathers at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd, especially Fr Bernard Gordon, for helping me to discover the genius of St. Thomas. I would also like to thank the Staff at the School of Philosophy and Theology, Notre Dame, Sydney, for their constant support. Most especially, Dr Angus Brook, whose wisdom, patience and encouragement forged my love of St Thomas and made this work possible. To Chloe, whose faith, hope and love sustained the man behind this work so that it could come to completion. Finally, to St.
    [Show full text]
  • Edward Feser's Locke and Eric Mack's John Locke
    Review Essay: Edward Feser‘s Locke and Eric Mack‘s John Locke Irfan Khawaja Felician College 1. Introduction There‘s an obvious sense in which libertarian and Objectivist thought get their bearings from the philosophical theorizing of John Locke. Both Murray Rothbard and Robert Nozick explicitly built their respective political philosophies on Locke‘s conception of self-ownership, property, and political legitimacy, and both conceived of their theories in different ways as the workings-out of Lockean arguments. Ayn Rand was less explicit about what she got from Locke in the way of philosophical insight, but was explicit about Locke‘s positive influence on political philosophy and political history: ―It took centuries of intellectual, philosophical development to achieve political freedom,‖ she wrote (in 1962, in the context of a discussion of Algeria‘s independence from France). ―It was a long struggle, stretching from Aristotle to John Locke to the Founding Fathers.‖1 Given this, it‘s become natural in libertarian and Objectivist circles to appeal to Locke as a sort of all-purpose authority on or placeholder for the idea of freedom as such. Open almost any libertarian policy analysis or polemic, and you‘ll find at least one obligatory reference to Locke, ―whose ideas about the protection of private property and other rights underlie the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States‖2—and more specifically, whose ideas can be deployed in defense of the free-market side in contemporary arguments about jurisprudence and public policy.3 The 1 Ayn Rand, ―Theory and Practice: Blind Chaos,‖ in Ayn Rand, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, Centennial Edition (New York: Signet, 1966), p.
    [Show full text]
  • In Defense of the Fourth Way and Its Metaphysics
    In Defense of the Fourth Way and its Metaphysics Submitted by Monty De La Torre Bachelor of Arts in Music and Philosophy Master of Arts in Theology PhD Candidate in Philosophy A dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy School of Philosophy Faculty of Theology/Philosophy Australian Catholic University University Graduate Research Office North Sydney Campus (MacKillop) 19-21 Berry Street-Level 4 North Sydney NSW 2059 May 2016 1 Declaration of Authorship and Sources This thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma. No parts of this thesis have been submitted towards the award of any other degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution. No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgment in the main text of the thesis. All research procedures reported in the thesis received the approval of the relevant Ethics/Safety Committees (where required). Abstract The Fourth Way of Thomas Aquinas is one of the least popular and heavily neglected demonstrations one can find for the existence of God. Most scholars in the field of natural theology or the philosophy of Aquinas are well versed in Aquinas’ other Ways. But the Fourth Way is, for some reason or other, rarely afforded the time of day. This is very unfortunate. However, recent scholarship has shed some much needed light on the proof, arguing for its metaphysical lucidity and defensibility among its detractors and interlocutors. Edward Feser is one such scholar who has gone to great lengths to promote and defend Aquinas’ general metaphysics and its application to all of Aquinas’ Five Ways within the area of contemporary analytic philosophy.
    [Show full text]
  • Read Book Aquinas a Beginners Guide 1St Edition Pdf Free Download
    AQUINAS A BEGINNERS GUIDE 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Edward Feser | 9781851686902 | | | | | Aquinas A Beginners Guide 1st edition PDF Book The Averroists had held, for example, that the human race shares a single intellect, which appears incompatible with the notion that each human being has an individual immortal soul. Nor is it correct to say that the student of the rock or water cycles just happens to be interested in the way some rock generates other kinds and how water in one form brings about water in another form, and is not interested in [these examples]. This seems an astonishingly ugly band-aid, and its ontological awkwardness is not acknowledged nor mediated by counter-argument. Except perhaps one. I'm not gonna lie and say that I understood everything perfectly; at times, I've had to read and re-read passages to grasp what Feser is on about. If pursued too single-mindedly, however, it can distract us from what the thinkers themselves considered important. I was only satisfied with the former. Amazing list! In fact most readers will find it more challenging than The Last Superstition , though not as challenging as Scholastic Metaphysics. I had expected a more basic introduction to St. Apparently the first batch of copies they had sold out right away. Which means, if I'm right, that Ed was working his drafts out through this site, which means in a medium, and for an audience, that both demanded and deserved? There are two basic difficulties encountered in the Summa. The proffered justifications of Thomism seemed targeted towards New Atheists, failing to engage more sophisticated philosophical frameworks.
    [Show full text]
  • A Thomistic Critique of the Ethics of Alasdair Macintyre
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2014 A Thomistic Critique of the Ethics of Alasdair MacIntyre Marcus Otte University of Central Florida Part of the Philosophy Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Otte, Marcus, "A Thomistic Critique of the Ethics of Alasdair MacIntyre" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 4581. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4581 A THOMISTIC CRITIQUE OF THE ETHICS OF ALASDAIR MACINTYRE by MARCUS SHANE OTTE B.A. University of Central Florida 2009 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies in the College of Graduate Studies at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2014 Major Professor: Donald Jones © Marcus Shane Otte 2014 ii ABSTRACT Alasdair MacIntyre argues in favor of a historicist Thomism in ethics and political philosophy. In his theory, sociological categories take up much of the space traditionally occupied by metaphysics. This peculiar feature of MacIntyre’s Thomism, and its merits and demerits, is already a subject that has been taken up by many critics. In this thesis, these criticisms are supplemented and unified by identifying what is perhaps the most fundamental difficulty with MacIntyre’s ethics: his version of Thomism is problematic because it treats epistemology as first philosophy.
    [Show full text]
  • Scholastic Metaphysics
    editiones scholasticae Volume 39 Edward Feser Scholastic Metaphysics A Contemporary Introduction Edward Feser Bibliographic information published by Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de Distribution: North and South America by Transaction Books Rutgers University Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042 [email protected] United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Turkey, Malta, Portugal by Gazelle Books Services Limited White Cross Mills Hightown LANCASTER, LA1 4XS [email protected]©2014 editiones scholasticae Postfach 15 41, D-63133 Heusenstamm www.editiones-scholasticae.de ISBN 978-3-86838-544-1 2014 No part of this book may be reproduced, stored In retrieval systems or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use of the purchaser of the work. Printed on acid-free paper Printed in Germany by CPI buchbiicher.de 1 Scholastic Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction Table of Contents Acknowledgements 5 0. Prolegomenon 6 0.1 Aim of the book 6 0.2 Against scientism 10 0.2.1 A dilemma for scientism 11 0.2.2 The descriptive limits of science 13 0.2.3 The explanatory limits of science 20 0.2.4 A bad argument for scientism 23 0.3 Against
    [Show full text]
  • Curriculum Vitae
    CURRICULUM VITAE 1. Name: Gyula Klima 2. Contact: Department of Philosophy, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham road New York, NY 10458 Phone: (718) 817-3286 Fax: (914) 355-4026 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://faculty.fordham.edu/klima 3. Education: MA 1982, Ph.D. 1986, Eötvös Lóránd University, Budapest 4. Positions held: 1982, Research Assistant, Inst. of Philosophy, Hungarian Academy 1986, Research Fellow, Institute of Philosophy, Hungarian Academy 1989-1990, 1991, Visiting Fellow, Academy of Finland 1990, Gifford Visiting Fellow, University of St. Andrews, Scotland 1991, Visiting Fellow, University of Copenhagen, Denmark 1991-92, Visiting Lecturer, Yale University 1992-95, Assistant Professor, Yale University 1993-97 Senior Research Fellow, Inst. of Philosophy, Hung. Acad. 1994-95, Morse Fellow, Yale University 1995-99 Assoc. Professor, Philosophy, University of Notre Dame 1999-2003 Associate Professor, Philosophy, Fordham University 2002-2003 ACLS Fellow/UCLA Visiting Scholar 2003 - Professor, Philosophy, Fordham University 2009 - Doctor of the Hungarian Academy 5. Major grants: 1994-95 Morse Fellowship, Yale University, $40,000 1995-97 NEH grant for “Buridan’s Summulae”, YUP, $50,000 2002-2003 ACLS, “John Buridan”, OUP, $40,000 2005: Earhart Foundation, “Medieval Philosophy”, $21,000 2009-2012 NEH, “Buridan’s Questions on the Soul”, $195,000 2012-2013 NEH “Questions on the Soul by John Buridan and Others”, $55,000 6. Professional American Catholic Philosophical Association (exec. comm. 2006) memberships: American Philosophical
    [Show full text]
  • Alasdair Macintyre and F. A. Hayek on the Abuse of Reason
    SUBSCRIBE NOW AND RECEIVE CRISIS AND LEVIATHAN* FREE! “The Independent Review does not accept “The Independent Review is pronouncements of government officials nor the excellent.” conventional wisdom at face value.” —GARY BECKER, Noble Laureate —JOHN R. MACARTHUR, Publisher, Harper’s in Economic Sciences Subscribe to The Independent Review and receive a free book of your choice* such as the 25th Anniversary Edition of Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government, by Founding Editor Robert Higgs. This quarterly journal, guided by co-editors Christopher J. Coyne, and Michael C. Munger, and Robert M. Whaples offers leading-edge insights on today’s most critical issues in economics, healthcare, education, law, history, political science, philosophy, and sociology. Thought-provoking and educational, The Independent Review is blazing the way toward informed debate! Student? Educator? Journalist? Business or civic leader? Engaged citizen? This journal is for YOU! *Order today for more FREE book options Perfect for students or anyone on the go! The Independent Review is available on mobile devices or tablets: iOS devices, Amazon Kindle Fire, or Android through Magzter. INDEPENDENT INSTITUTE, 100 SWAN WAY, OAKLAND, CA 94621 • 800-927-8733 • [email protected] PROMO CODE IRA1703 Alasdair MacIntyre and F. A. Hayek on the Abuse of Reason F BRANDON HARNISH We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road. If you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistakes.
    [Show full text]
  • Scholastic Metaphysics: a Contemporary Introduction Free
    FREESCHOLASTIC METAPHYSICS: A CONTEMPORARY INTRODUCTION EBOOK Edward Feser | 302 pages | 01 Apr 2014 | Editiones Scholasticae | 9783868385441 | English | Neunkirchen-Seelscheid, Germany Scholastic Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction - Edward Feser - Google книги The lowest-priced brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item in its original packaging where packaging is applicable. Packaging should be the same as what Scholastic Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction found in a retail store, unless the item is handmade or was packaged by the manufacturer in non-retail packaging, such as an unprinted box or plastic bag. See details for additional description. Skip to main content. About this product. Stock photo. Brand new: Lowest price The lowest-priced brand- new, unused, unopened, undamaged item in its original packaging where packaging is applicable. Book Details. See all 3 brand new listings. Buy It Now. Add to cart. About this product Product Information Scholastic Metaphysics provides an overview of Scholastic approaches to causation, substance, essence, modality, identity, persistence, teleology, and other issues in fundamental metaphysics. Additional Product Features Dewey Scholastic Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction. The book is excellently organized, treats its various topics with remarkable thoroughness and depth, and is written in an always clear, precise, and vibrant style. The book could only have been written by someone who has a complete command of the fundamental concepts of scholastic metaphysics, as well as an impressive knowledge of the main currents of modern philosophy. For anyone who seeks a substantive and sound introduction to scholastic metaphysics, this is the book with which to begin. Highly recommended. Anyone working in metaphysics, the philosophy of nature, or the philosophy of mind would be well advised to read through this book.
    [Show full text]
  • 5 Consciousness Consciousness Has in Recent Years Become the Hot
    5 Consciousness Consciousness has in recent years become the hot topic among philosophers of mind, and among not a few neuroscientists and cognitive scientists too. The reason has largely to do with the qualia problem surveyed in the last chapter. The received wisdom is that if we distinguish between, on the one hand, the conscious mind's capacity to represent the world beyond itself (that is, its intentionality) and to reason on the basis of such representations; and on the other, the qualia associated with these mental states and processes, then (a) it is the latter - the qualia - rather than rationality or intentionality, that are essential to conscious states qua conscious, and (b) it is these qualia that make consciousness difficult to account for in materialist terms, with rationality and intentionality being readily amenable to a reductionist explanation. My own suspicion is that this received wisdom has things backwards, on both counts: it is not qualia but the other mental phenomena - rationality and, especially, intentionality - which are essential to consciousness, and which pose the most important challenge to materialism. Ironically, consideration of the views of some contemporary theorists representative of the received wisdom will help us to see this. Their strategy is to give a materialistic explanation of consciousness by first reducing qualitative states (those characterized by qualia) to intentional states (those characterized by intentionality), and then completing their explanation by carrying out (what they suppose to 91 Philosophy of Mind: A Short Introduction by Edward Feser 1 92 Philosophy of Mind be the easier task of reducing intentional states to material states of the brain.
    [Show full text]
  • The Thomistic Dissolution of the Logical Problem of Evil
    religions Article The Thomistic Dissolution of the Logical Problem of Evil Edward Feser Department of Social Sciences, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA 91106, USA; [email protected] Abstract: In his book ‘Is a Good God Logically Possible?’, James Sterba argues that the existence of much of the evil to be found in the world is logically incompatible with the existence of God. I defend the Thomistic view that when one properly understands the nature of God and of his relationship to the world, this so-called logical problem of evil does not arise. While Sterba has responded to the version of the Thomistic position presented by Brian Davies, I argue that his response fails. Keywords: problem of evil; theodicy; Thomas Aquinas; James P. Sterba; Brian Davies Is the existence of God logically compatible with the existence of evil? Or is there a strict contradiction between the two? The “logical problem of evil” is the problem facing the theist of showing that the appearance of contradiction is illusory. J. L. Mackie famously 1 argued that the contradiction is real, so the problem cannot be solved and theism is refuted. Alvin Plantinga is widely thought to have shown that Mackie was wrong, so the most that Citation: Feser, Edward. 2021. The the atheist can aim for is an “evidential argument from evil” according to which the reality Thomistic Dissolution of the Logical of evil makes God’s existence improbable but not impossible.2 James Sterba has recently Problem of Evil. Religions 12: 268. argued that Mackie was right after all, or at any rate that Plantinga and others have failed https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12040268 to show otherwise.3 Central to his argument is the assumption that God is obligated to obey moral imperatives such as the “Pauline Principle” that we may never do evil that Academic Editor: James Sterba good may come of it.
    [Show full text]