An interpretation of God as exemplary cause is in consonance with Aristotle's biological works, although in the Metaphysics Aristotle does shy away from such an interpretation. It is possible to conceive the order of the world in Aristotle as "an expression of desire of God." The rational order that is present in the universe is dependent on God, on his thought. Each organism desires to realize its form, to become intelligible, and to thus imitate God's thought. Such an interpretation of (...) Aristotle coincides with and is completed by Aquinas's treatment of the truth as the origin and end of the universe in the Summa contra Gentiles. (shrink)

St. Anselm provides us with a metaphysics of the Logos, whereby things are true in relation to the Divine Intellect, or by the one first truth. Anselm will, as Aquinas after him, consider whether things are more true in the Divine Word than they are in themselves. This question seems to be closely related to the human person’s desire for God, a desire which makes possible the person’s return to God and which involves not only being created true but also (...) doing the truth, or being as the person ought to be. The questions I will treat in this paper will show that Anselm’s metaphysical and ethical thought is heavily indebted to Neoplatonic themes such as measure and order. (shrink)

St. Anselm provides us with a metaphysics of the Logos, whereby things are true in relation to the Divine Intellect, or by the one first truth. This type of metaphysics has ethical implications, for the truth of man’s essence needs to be brought to completion through right action. Rectitude of the rational creature’s will is necessary for man’s doing the truth or standing in the truth. This paper shows that the actualization of man’s essence can only be achieved through the (...) return of the rational creature to the divine Truth, which is its exemplary and final cause. (shrink)

Introduction by Ralph McInerny The essays in this volume, indebted in great part to Jacques Maritain and to other Neo-Thomists, represent a contribution to an understanding of beauty and the arts within the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition. As such they constitute a different voice in present-day discussions on beauty and aesthetics, a voice which nonetheless shares with many of its contemporaries concern over questions such as the relationship between beauty and morality, public funding of the arts and their educational role, objective and (...) universal standards of what is beautiful. In the tradition in which the contributors of this volume reflect, beauty manifests itself in the order of the universe, an order that provides human reason with a window onto the transcendent. For Aristotle and Aquinas the natural order grounds both art and morality, and yet it is this very order which has been called into question by modern science and philosophy. Instead of pointing us to a suprahuman order, the beautiful then points to the order of human freedom and creativity. Reflection on the beautiful since the modern philosopher Immanuel Kant has thus often taken a subjectivistic turn. Because of the importance of beauty and art in human existence, in man's education and life as a moral and political being, an alternative should be sought to any reduction of the beautiful to a purely subjective experience or cultural construct. The Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition, in dialogue with modern and contemporary conceptions of the beautiful, provides us with just that alternative, and thus the essays herein represent a decisive step in the "journey for Thomistic aesthetics." THE CONTRIBUTORS: In addition to the editor, the contributors to the volume are: Brian J. Braman, Matthew Cuddeback, Christopher M. Cullen, S.J., Patrick Downey, Desmond J. FitzGerald, Donald Haggerty, Wayne H. Harter, Jeanne M. Heffernan, Thomas S. Hibbs, Gregory J. Kerr, Joseph W. Koterski, S.J., Daniel McInerny, Ralph McInerny, James P. Mesa, John F. Morris, Ralph Nelson, Katherine Anne Osenga, Carrie Rehak, Stephen Schloesser, S.J., Francis Slade, John G. Trapani, Jr., and Henk E. S. Woldring. ABOUT THE EDITOR: Alice Ramos is associate professor of philosophy at St. John's University. (shrink)

Seeking to provide a richer alternative to both the contemporary cult of beauty and appearance and the concomitant decline of real beauty, this book offers a systematic treatment of the relationship between beauty and the good by drawing from ancient (e.g., Plato, Aristotle, and others) and medieval (e.g., Aquinas, Bonaventure, Hugh of St. Victor, and others) thought in such a way as to bring together scholars in these traditions.

Este estudio examina la influencia de la tradición neoplatónica en el pensamientode Santo Tomás con respecto a la causalidad de la bondad divina. El axioma “bonum est diffusivum sui,” atribuido en general al Pseudo-Dionisio, será puesto de relieve e interpretado en el sentido de la causalidad final.

In the essay, I want to disscuss Maritain's concept of freedom. If we want to understand some obscure thoughts about Maritain, we have to understand Thomas's thoughts. In the essay entitled "The Conquest of Freedom.", Maritain illustrates what freedom means. He indicates it is inseparable between the notions of personality and independent freedom. It is therefore necessary to study the Thomistic concepts of the will as nature and the will as reason . My purpose in this paper will be twofold: (...) to consider first of all the differences which Maritain establishes between individuality and personality, and secondly, to understand what he says about freedom by placing it within the Thomistic context which is both philosophical and theological. (shrink)

This article focuses on Maritain put forward the concept of self to, in order to understand Maritain some unfathomable thought, we must use to understand the thinking of Thomas Aquinas to help understand Maritain. Maritain in the "conquest of freedom," the article discusses what is freedom. Maritain pointed to in order to properly understand the freedom and the concept of personal freedom and independence are inseparable, so the thought of Thomas Aquinas, the will as nature and will as a rational (...) concept is necessary of. This article discusses two levels, one man and individuality, and second, the will and the will of nature as rational as the purpose of two parts, first consider Maritain in the establishment of individual and personality differences between all, and secondly, by Thomas Aquinas on the understanding within the context of what he calls free, including the context of philosophy and theology. (shrink)

For Dietrich von Hildebrand beauty invites us to transcendence and leads us before the face of God, or in conspectu Dei. In order to elucidate what this means attention will be focused first on the objective importance of beauty, which carries with it according to von Hildebrand a message such that it speaks to us. The meaning of beauty as a “word” needs to be grounded in a metaphysics of the Logos which is in fact Light and Beauty, making everything (...) a participant in its light and beauty. If beauty as that which is important in itself or as value speaks to us, then a response is needed on our part, but responses to beauty can vary as von Hildebrand indicates in distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate responses; why this is so will occupy briefly the second part of this paper. And lastly, the “call” of beauty to us is related to the final perfection of the human person, where true identity is achieved and where we will at last stand before the face of God. (shrink)

En este artículo intento mostrar cómo en el pensamiento de Santo Tomás de Aquino la creación expresa o manifiesta a la divinidad, posibilitando así nuestro conocimiento de Dios sin recurrir a la fe. El Aquinate insiste en que la creación de todas las cosas es por el Verbo o el Logos, cuyo ser luminoso hace que todo sea inteligible y participe en la luz del Verbo. Esta luz divina es además la fuente de la luz del conocimiento natural –luz en (...) la que participan todos los hombres–. Dada esta participación en el hombre, la razón natural no sólo es capax entis, sino también capax Dei. In this article I seek to show how in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas creation expresses or manifests the divine, making possible our knowledge of God without recourse to faith. Aquinas insists that the creation of all things is through the Word or Logos, whose luminous being makes everything intelligible and renders all a participant in the light of the Word. This divine light is also the source of the light of natural knowledge participated in by all men. Given this participation in man, natural reason is not only capax entis but also capax Dei. (shrink)

St. Anselm provides us with a metaphysics of the Logos, whereby things are true in relation to the Divine Intellect, or by the one first truth. Anselm will, as Aquinas after him, consider whether things are more true in the Divine Word than they are in themselves. This question seems to be closely related to the human person’s desire for God, a desire which makes possible the person’s return to God and which involves not only being created true but also (...) doing the truth, or being as the person ought to be. The questions I will treat in this paper will show that Anselm’s metaphysical and ethical thought is heavily indebted to Neoplatonic themes such as measure and order. (shrink)