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Anthony Kenny offers a critical examination of a central metaphysical doctrine of Thomas Aquinas, the greatest of the medieval philosophers. Aquinas's account of being is famous and influential: but Kenny argues that it in fact suffers from systematic confusion. Because of the centrality of the doctrine, this has implications for other parts of Aquinas's philosophical system: in particular, Kenny shows that the idea that God is pure being is a hindrance, not a help, to Aquinas's natural theology. Kenny's clear and incisive study, drawing on the scholastic as well as the analytic tradition, dispels the confusion and offers philosophers and theologians a guide through the labyrinth of Aquinas's ontology.
This work investigates whether Thomas Aquinas's central metaphysical doctrine regarding the nature of being is logically coherent or fundamentally flawed. Anthony Kenny, a prominent philosopher known for his work in both the history of philosophy and analytic tradition, applies rigorous logical scrutiny to Aquinas's ontological claims. He argues that the doctrine of being, as presented by Aquinas, contains systematic confusion that undermines the broader philosophical system, particularly the natural theology concerning the nature of God.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and students of medieval philosophy frequently note the technical density of Kenny's prose, which requires a foundational understanding of both scholastic terminology and analytic logic. Experts highlight this text as a significant, albeit provocative, critique that challenges traditional interpretations of Thomistic metaphysics.
Page Count:
224
Publication Date:
2002-01-01
Publisher:
Clarendon Press
ISBN-10:
0191543977
ISBN-13:
9780191543975
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