Ryan Anderson kindly reviews Aquinas: A Beginner’s Guide in the May 2010 issue of First Things. From the review: “Do not let the subtitle deter you. While Aquinas is ‘a beginner’s guide,’ it is rigorous and accessible philosophy at its best. Even seasoned Thomists will benefit from Edward Feser’s analytic precision in interpreting and presenting Thomas’ philosophy. Placing Thomas in conversation with modern thinkers, Feser explains how so many worthies have gotten Thomas wrong and thus done battle with a straw man. More than this, Feser shows how, even on a host of contemporary debates, Thomas provides the most intellectually satisfying ways forward… Long have I searched for a book to recommend to colleagues, friends, and students to introduce them to the basics of Aquinas’s philosophy; I search no longer.”More information on the book is available here. Reserve your copy today!
I am too green in philosophy to know whether it is really for beginners or not - but I have found it a wonderful book - challenging but accessible. I will read it several times.
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I am at it right now and I find it as challenging too.
ReplyDeleteDr. Feser,
ReplyDeleteI just finished Aquinas and thought it was excellent. Having recently discovered classical theism, I've found it to be much more coherent and immune from criticism than theistic personalism. Your very clear intro to philosophy of mind was extremely helpful for me as well, seeing as how the field is currently dominated by atheists and materialists, many of which have a knack for covering up the inadequacies of naturalism with obscure writing.
On a slightly related note, can you recommend me a good introductory text on the Philosophy of Science? I'm surprised that there aren't more theists in the philosophy of science or philosophy of mind. In PoS, Bas van Fraasen is the only theist I know of.
Anonymous, the best book on the philosophy of science I know of is Jim Franklin's What Science Knows, which I review here.
ReplyDeleteI also found Aquinas to be an excellent explication of St Thomas's philosophy, as I say so here, as part of a two-part review which concludes here.
I can't wait for this book to come in the mail. TLS completely changed my views on A-T metaphysics and I'm ready for an in depth treatment. Thanks, Dr. Feser.
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