The Da Vinci Con

Thomistic Philosophy is inspired by the philosophical methods and principles used by Thomas Aquinas (1224/5-1274), a Dominican Friar and Theologian, in his explanation of the Catholic faith. Aquinas, who is most renowned for his Five Ways of Proving the Existence of God, believed that both faith and reason discover truth, a conflict between them being impossible since they both originate in God. Believing that reason can, in principle, lead the mind to God, Aquinas defended reason's legitimacy, especially in the works of Aristotle. The philosophy of Aquinas continues to offer insights into many lingering problems in Metaphysics, the Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Religion and Ethics.

This work provides a detailed analysis of Aristotle's views on the senses and the intellect according to their internal consistency and in the light of his recent interpreters (functionalist, cognitivist and supervenience theorists).  Click here for a more detailed synopsis.

Of special interest to students of Thomas Aquinas is the author's explication of Thomas' teaching on the "spiritual" nature of sensation within the context of Aristotle's philosophy.  It also provides a critical evaluation of Thomas' argument (which he claims is Aristotle's) that the intellect cannot be a material power since it receives the forms of all bodies.