Pseudo-dionysius And the Metaphysics of Aquinas

by O'Rourke, Fran

• ISBN13: 9780268037246
• ISBN10: 0268037248
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-20
• Publisher: Univ of Notre Dame Pr

Summary

The only available work that investigates the pervasive influence of Pseudo-Dionysius on the formation of Thomas Aquinas's philosophy.

Table of Contents

Preface to the 2005 Reprint	xi
List of Abbreviations	xiii
Preface	xv
PART ONE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
Knowledge of God in Pseudo-Dionysius	3	(19)
Reason and Revelation	3	(4)
Causality and the Knowledge of God	7	(7)
Positive and Negative Names of God	14	(2)
Priority of Negation	16	(6)
Dionysian Elements in Aquinas' Discovery of God	22	(43)
Reason and Revelation	22	(9)
The Triplex Via of Divine Names	31	(10)
The Principle of Similitude	41	(3)
Participation: Ground of Predication	44	(4)
Primacy of Negative Knowledge	48	(17)
PART TWO TRANSCENDENCE OF BEING AND THE GOOD
Thearchia: The Transcendent Good	65	(20)
Transcendence of God as Being	68	(8)
Transcendence of God Beyond Being	76	(3)
God as Non-Being	79	(1)
God Beyond Being and Non-Being	80	(2)
The Meaning of `Non-Being' for Dionysius	82	(3)
Aquinas: Being, Non-Being and the Good	85	(32)
The Notion of the Good	85	(4)
Aquinas' Interpretation of Dionysius' Non-Being	89	(8)
Matter as Non-Being	89	(5)
God as Non-Being	94	(1)
Potency as Non-Being	95	(2)
Being as First Desired	97	(2)
Goodness, Being and Causality	99	(10)
Primacy of Being	109	(8)
PART THREE TRANSCENDENT CAUSALITY AND EXISTENCE
Unity of Divine Causation in Dionysius	117	(16)
Dionysius, Aquinas and Exodus 3, 14	130	(3)
Dionysian Elements in Aquinas' Notion of Being	133	(55)
Universal Being: the First Created Perfection	133	(10)
The Meaning of Esse Commune	143	(5)
Esse Commune and Ipsum Esse Subsistens	148	(7)
Virtus Essendi: Intensive Being in Dionysius and Aquinas	155	(33)
Virtual Quantity: the Language of Esse Intensivum	156	(11)
Virtual Intensity of Being	167	(7)
Esse Intensivum: Primary Act and Perfection	174	(6)
Dionysius, Source of Aquinas' Intensive Notion of Being	180	(8)
Goodness of God as Subsistent Being	188	(27)
Divine Identity, Simplicity and Immutability	197	(1)
Divine Perfection	198	(3)
Aquinas and the Good beyond Being	201	(14)
PART FOUR CREATIVE DIFFUSION OF THE GOOD
Pseudo-Dionysius: The Cycle of Creation	215	(10)
Creative Diffusion in Aquinas	225	(50)
Divine Good as Origin of Creation	225	(9)
Emanation and Return of Creatures	234	(7)
Diffusion of the Good: Efficient or Final Causation?	241	(9)
God's Creative Freedom	250	(5)
Presence and Transcendence of God	255	(5)
Hierarchy and Order of Beings	260	(15)
Epilogue	275	(2)
Bibliography	277	(22)
Index of Proper Names	299