Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- 1 Aquinas's philosophy in its historical setting
- 2 Aristotle and Aquinas
- 3 Aquinas and Islamic and Jewish thinkers
- 4 Metaphysics
- 5 Philosophy of mind
- 6 Theory of knowledge
- 7 Ethics
- 8 Law and politics
- 9 Theology and philosophy
- 10 Biblical commentary and philosophy
- Bibliography
- References to Aquinas's Works
- Index
Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 May 2006
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- 1 Aquinas's philosophy in its historical setting
- 2 Aristotle and Aquinas
- 3 Aquinas and Islamic and Jewish thinkers
- 4 Metaphysics
- 5 Philosophy of mind
- 6 Theory of knowledge
- 7 Ethics
- 8 Law and politics
- 9 Theology and philosophy
- 10 Biblical commentary and philosophy
- Bibliography
- References to Aquinas's Works
- Index
Summary
People familiar with Thomas Aquinas's work know that he ranks among the greatest philosophers, but the number of such people is still smaller than it should be. Anthony Kenny described and gave one reason for this state of affairs more than a decade ago, when it was even more deplorable than it is now: 'Aquinas is little read nowadays by professional philosophers: he has received much less attention in philosophy departments, whether in the continental tradition or in the Anglo-American one, than lesser thinkers such as Berkeley or Hegel. He has, of course, been extensively studied in theological colleges and in the philosophy courses of ecclesiastical institutions; but ecclesiastical endorsement has itself damaged Aquinas's reputation with secular philosophers. . . . But since the Second Vatican Council [1962-65] Aquinas seems to have lost something of the pre-eminent favour he enjoyed in ecclesiastical circles. . . . This wind of ecclesiastical change may blow no harm to his reputation in secular circles.' (Kenny 1980a, pp. 27-28)
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Companion to Aquinas , pp. 1 - 11Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1993
- 6
- Cited by