The Human Wisom of St. Thomas: A Breviary of Philosophy from the Works of St. Thomas Aquinas

by Pieper, Joseph; Maclaren, Drostan

• ISBN13: 9780898708912
• ISBN10: 0898708915
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-02-01
• Publisher: Ignatius Press

Summary

Josef Pieper has attached no commentary to the texts brought together in this breviary of the philosophy of St. Thomas, preferring that the reader should encounter them. "on his own". His work has been one of selection, in which he has sought to assemble such passages as will provide an introduction to the form and design of the whole Thomistic system. Yet he has so ordered his texts as to impress upon the reader a special feature of St. Thomas's thought, what he calls its double aspect: St. Thomas sees the whole scheme of reality ordered and penetrable by reason; yet the mystery of Being itself remains: "The effort of human thought has not been able to track down the essence of a single gnat." Book jacket.

Author Biography

Josef Pieper, one of the most highly regarded Thomistic philosophers of the twentieth century, wrote numerous philosophical works including Leisure: The Basis of Culture, Guide to Thomas Aquinas, Only the Lover Sings and many more

Table of Contents

Preface	9	(6)
The order of the parts of the universe to each other exists in virtue of the order of the whole universe to God	15	(4)
The creature is vanity in so far as it comes from nothingness, but not in so far as it is an image of God	19	(2)
There can be good without evil; but there cannot be evil without good	21	(9)
Intellectual natures have a greater affinity to the whole than other beings	30	(4)
Our intellect in understanding is extended to infinity	34	(10)
Morality presupposes nature	44	(5)
Reason is man's nature. Hence whatever is contrary to reason is contrary to human nature	49	(3)
The desire of the last end is not among those things over which we have mastery	52	(3)
The happiness of the active life lies in the action of prudence by which man rules himself and others	55	(5)
Moral virtue does not exclude the passions	60	(3)
Through virtue man is ordered to the utmost limit of his capacity	63	(2)
Pleasure perfects operation just as beauty perfects youth	65	(3)
Grace and virtue imitate the order of nature which is instituted by the divine wisdom	68	(10)
The theologian considers human actions in so far as through them man is ordered to beatitude	78	(2)
Each being naturally loves God more than itself	80	(8)
Things are more in God than God is in things	88	(10)
This is the final human knowledge of God: to know that we do not know God	98	(5)
Index of References	103