Aquinas and Modern Science: A New Synthesis of Faith and Reason - Softcover

Verschuuren, Gerard M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1621382281 ISBN 13: 9781621382287

Publisher: Angelico Press, 2016

Synopsis

We live in a paradoxical time. Science enables us to know more and more, but it seems to be about less and less: we reach into outer space but understand less about our inner space; we create intricate machineries to direct our lives but cannot control ourselves; we see more trees but no longer the forest. Is there a remedy for these dichotomies? Yes, philosophy, which can bring coherence where fragmentation looms, opening vistas no telescope or microscope can ever reach—and especially the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, because for more than seven centuries it has been a beacon of surety in times of uncertainty, confusion, and tribulation.

Thomas’s 13th-century world was in many ways as turbulent as ours, confronted with an influx of new ideas, rife with dubious philosophies not so different from the skepticism, secularism, and relativism that saturates ours. He understood both the fascination of his contemporaries with new discoveries and the confusions they often brought. No wonder then that his philosophy has been lauded by modern thinkers such as Albert Einstein, David Bohm, Werner Heisenberg, John Searle, and Alasdair MacIntyre—to name but a few.

The mission of Aquinas and Modern Science: A New Synthesis of Faith and Reason is precisely to invite you on a tour through the richness of Thomas’s philosophy in its encounter with the sciences as we know them today. Let his time-tested principles continue to serve as an anchor of intelligibility in a sea of confusing claims.

“Gerard Verschuuren illustrates the perennial value of Aquinas in the quest for an understanding of the nature of scientific explanation. He offers a clear exposition of the first principles of thought and being, as identified and defended in the work of Aquinas.”—JUDE P. DOUGHERTY, Dean Emeritus of the Department of Philosophy, Catholic University of America

“Verschuuren has written an informative, thought-provoking, witty, and irresistibly readable brief for the continuing relevance of Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophy to modern science. He is at home in both worlds, and can explain them clearly to those who are not.”—STEPHEN M. BARR, Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Director of the Bartol Research Institute, Researcher in theoretical particle physics, University of Delaware

“I am impressed by the author’s knowledge of science and insights into its perfect compatibility with Thomas’s commonsense principles, as well as his ability to translate the technical abstractions of both philosophy and science into the language and thought processes of intelligent laymen.”—PETER KREEFT, Professor of Philosophy, Boston College

“Gerard Verschuuren here provides a thoughtful account of how the philosophical vision of Aquinas can help us better see the unity of reality, while also appreciating the wide range of scientific disciplines that study reality in its diversity.”—JOSEPH W. KOTERSKI, S.J., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University

“This book is a comprehensive introduction—for students and laypersons alike—to the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, as well as a treasure trove of insightful integrations with contemporary scientific thinking. Even more importantly, the author provides a clear example of what any current Thomist should be trying to do—talk to one’s contemporaries.”—JOHN F.X. KNASAS, Professor of Philosophy, Center for Thomistic Studies, University of St. Thomas

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"Gerard Verschuuren illustrates the perennial value of Aquinas in the quest for an understanding of the nature of scientific explanation. He offers a clear exposition of the first principles of thought and being, as identified and defended in the work of Aquinas."--JUDE P. DOUGHERTY, Dean Emeritus of the Department of Philosophy, Catholic University of America

"Verschuuren has written an informative, thought-provoking, witty, and irresistibly readable brief for the continuing relevance of Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophy to modern science. He is at home in both worlds, and can explain them clearly to those who are not."--STEPHEN M. BARR, Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Director of the Bartol Research Institute, Researcher in theoretical particle physics, University of Delaware

"I am impressed by the author's knowledge of science and insights into its perfect compatibility with Thomas's commonsense principles, as well as his ability to translate the technical abstractions of both philosophy and science into the language and thought processes of intelligent laymen."--PETER KREEFT, Professor of Philosophy, Boston College

"Gerard Verschuuren here provides a thoughtful account of how the philosophical vision of Aquinas can help us better see the unity of reality, while also appreciating the wide range of scientific disciplines that study reality in its diversity."--JOSEPH W. KOTERSKI, S.J., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University

"This book is a comprehensive introduction--for students and laypersons alike--to the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, as well as a treasure trove of insightful integrations with contemporary scientific thinking. Even more importantly, the author provides a clear example of what any current Thomist should be trying to do--talk to one's contemporaries."--JOHN F.X. KNASAS, Professor of Philosophy, Center for Thomistic Studies, University of St. Thomas

From the Inside Flap:

FOREWORD by Joseph W. Koterski, S.J., Fordham University
PREFACE
1. AQUINAS AND HIS TIME
2. AQUINAS AND METAPHYSICS
a. The Need for Metaphysics
b. Faith and Reason
3. AQUINAS AND NATURE'S PRINCIPLES
a. Esse, Essence, Existence, and Substance
b. Matter and Form
c. Fivefold Causality
d. Primary and Secondary Cause
4. AQUINAS AND EPISTEMOLOGY
a. Epistemology in Crisis
b. Epistemology Restored
c. A Foundation for Science
5. AQUINAS AND THE SCIENCES
a. Aquinas the Scientist?
b. The Power of Reason
6. AQUINAS AND COSMOLOGY
a. A Beginning of the Universe?
b. Before the Big Bang?
c. Creation ex nihilo?
7. AQUINAS AND PHYSICS
a. Classical Physics
b. Quantum Physics
8. AQUINAS AND GENETICS
a. Causa Materialis of DNA
b. Causa Efficiens of DNA
c. Causa Formalis of DNA
d. Causa Finalis of DNA
e. Causa Exemplaris of DNA
9. AQUINAS AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
a. The Causality of Evolution
b. Intelligent Design?
c. The Path of Evolution
10. AQUINAS AND NEUROSCIENCE
a. The Mental is Not the Neural
b. What then is the Mental if Not Neural?
c. Can the Soul Exist Without the Body?
11. AQUINAS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
a. Sociology
b. Economics
c. Political Sciences
12. INDEX

About this edition

• Publisher: Angelico Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1621382281
• ISBN 13: 9781621382287
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 250