Thomism: The Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas by Etienne Gilson. Translated by Laurence K. Shook and Armand Maurer from the 6th French edition, published 1965. Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, 2002. 454 pages.

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Etienne Gilson published six editions of his book devoted to the philosophy
of Thomas Aquinas. The appearance of these editions, the first in
1917 and the last in 1965, covers much of the scholarly life of their
author. As he says in his Preface, the book was his lifelong companion.
The editions represent a sustained effort to set forth his developing views
on the philosophy of the man who, in Gilson's opinion, most profoundly
sought out the heart of reality: being, understood as the act of existing
(esse). Gilson presents his thoughts on this subject with new clarity and
precision in his revised sixth and final edition, which is here put into
English for the first time.

While probing into Thomas' philosophy, Gilson measures it against the
views of his predecessors: notably Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and the
Pseudo-Dionysius among the Greeks, and Avicenna and Averroes in the
Islamic world. Among the Latins, he pays particular attention to the
views of Augustine, Boethius, Anselm, and in his own century to those
of Alexander of Hales and Bonaventure. Gilson sees Aquinas as retrieving
much of the long tradition of philosophy in which he was schooled,
but surpassing it with his original insights and developments. Most important,
in Gilson's opinion, is that Thomas goes beyond the essentialist
ontology bequeathed to the Middle Ages by Augustine, among others,
and reaches a "new ontology" which is truly existential.

With this leitmotif, in Part I Gilson explores Thomas' notions of the
existence and nature of God and our access to them. Part II examines
the emanation of the world from God and the hierarchy of creatures,
culminating in the human person. Part III contains Gilson's fullest
treatment of Thomas' moral doctrine, featuring the human act, its principles,
and the personal, social, and religious life. While stressing the
strictly rational character of Thomistic philosophy in the way it reaches
its conclusions, this edition, like its predecessors, emphasizes its development
within Thomas' theology and the guidance it receives from the
Christian faith.