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Metaphysical Themes in Thomas Aquinas III
Studies in Philosophy and the History of Philosophy
Imprint: Catholic University of America Press
Metaphysical Themes in Thomas Aquinas III is Msgr. John Wippel’s third volume dedicated to the metaphysical thought of Thomas Aquinas. After an introduction, this volume of collected essays begins with Wippel’s interpretation of the discovery of the subject of metaphysics by a special kind of judgment ("separation"). In subsequent chapters, Wippel turns to the relationship between faith and reason, exploring what are known as the preambles of faith. This is followed by two chapters on the important contributions by Cornelio Fabro on Aquinas’s distinction between essence and esse and on participation. The volume continues with articles on Aquinas’s view of creation as a preamble of faith, Aquinas’s much-disputed defense of unicity of substantial form in creatures, his account of the separated soul’s natural knowledge, and Aquinas’s understanding of evil in his De Malo 1. The volume concludes with an article comparing Bonaventure, Aquinas, and Godfrey of Fontaines on the metaphysical composition of angelic beings.
Most of these issues were disputed during Aquinas’s time by some of his contemporaries, and the proper understanding of each continues to be debated by various students of his thought today. Wippel’s purpose, therefore, is to help clarify our understanding of Aquinas’s thought on each of these topics, a task that requires the careful analysis of primary sources and of secondary literature and attention to the relative chronology of his writing.
John F. Wippel is Ordinary Professor and Theodore Basselin Professor of Philosophy, The Catholic University of America.
"The scholarly methods are impeccable, and the essays are fine examples of how to investigate and report one’s finding in the area of Thomistic metaphysics. Wippel has fantastic command of the secondary literature as well as the primary sources, and his documentation is meticulous. And, thankfully, his writing style is clear and makes even the most difficult questions accessible."
~Joseph W. Koterski, SJ, Fordham University
"John Wippel is one of the world's greatest experts on the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. In this book he again displays the care and rigor, when it comes to expounding Aquinas, for which he is justly famous. Like many of his previously published books, Metaphysical Themes in Thomas Aquinas III is essential reading for anyone trying to understand Aquinas correctly."
~Brian Davies, author of Thomas Aquinas's 'Summa Theologiae': A Guide and Commentary
"This is a welcome addition to the literature from the author of the best book on Aquinas's metaphysics and the best introduction on how to read him, Thomas Aquinas and the Problem of Christian Philosophy."
~David B. Twetten, Marquette University
"This is destined to become one of the great classics on the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas."
~Revue des Sciences Philosophiques et Theologiques
"Wippel’s extraordinary expertise in Aquinas, as displayed by his close reading of the texts, combined with an impressive command of the relevant philosophical and doxological issues and of the historical context, makes all the nine essays collected in this volume essential readings for further works on their topics. Their great scholarly value will be appreciated by anyone trying to understand Aquinas."
~Thomist
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