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Book SynopsisMichel de Montaigne's (1533-1592) Essais, was a profound study of human subjectivity. More than three hundred years before the advent of psychoanalysis, Montaigne embarked on a remarkable quest to see and imagine the self from a variety of vantage points. This title traces Montaigne's development of the Western concept of the self.Trade ReviewIn this exhilarating and learned book on Montaigne's essays, Lawrence D. Kritzman contemporizes the great writer. Reading him from today's deconstructive America, Kritzman discovers Montaigne always already deep into a dialogue with Jacques Derrida and psychoanalysis. One cannot but admire this fabulous act of translation. -- Helene Cixous, author of White Ink: Interviews on Sex, Text, and Politics Throughout his career, Lawrence D. Kritzman has demonstrated an intimate knowledge of Montaigne's essays and an engagement with French philosophy and critical theory. The Fabulous Imagination sheds precious new light on one of the founders of modern individualism and on his crucial quest for self-knowledge. -- Jean Starobinski, professor emeritus of French literature, University of Geneva Lawrence D. Kritzman is centered on the way Montaigne's essays are self-contained expositions of ambivalence and unresolved tension about the difficulties of living, negotiating, and being in the world. He brings us back to archaic but vital issues that haunt us: to monsters and nightmares; to fear of impotence; to thoughts about the end of filial lines; to the ways that writing exhumes and thus copes with traumatic memories; to mimicry not as a way of representing the world but as a tactic of diverting, deflecting, and ultimately assuaging its violence. A strong and enduring contribution not only to early modern study but also to the importance of theory insofar as it can be displaced into and out of the works of canonical authors. -- Tom Conley, Abbott Lawrence Lowell Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard University Kritzman, whose scholarship and erudition are apparent on every page, skillfully analyzes Montaigne's response to each of these traumas... Highly recommended. Choice Although other books will help modern readers understand Montaigne's place in the intellectual context of the sixteenth century, Kritzman's study achieves something rare in showing how Montaigne's imagination allowed him to confront the reality of his own everyday life. In this way, the Fabulous Imagination proves itself a historical text, but one that filters historical consciousness through a modern and personal prism. A unique mix of the personal, the historical, and the theoretical, the Fabulous Imagination brings Montaigne's Essays into focus as only a highly sensitive author with an extensive knowledge of both history and theory can. -- Michael Randall Substance Essential reading for any student or scholar of Montaigne's essays. Lawrence D. Kritzman... consistently balances a profound understanding of Montaigne's essays with a broad and diverse knowledge of postmodern theory, in the process offering illuminating readings of these texts. -- Kathleen Long The Comparatist The book offers a summary of the work of a major scholar of French Renaissance studies, and hence a showcase of the reading practices that marked the era in which this work first became prominent. -- Hassan Melehy H-France Kritzman's powerful insights lead us to understand the Essais in a new light, -- Elisabeth Hodges Sixteenth Century JournalTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Montaigne Is Theory Part I. Monster Theory 1. Montaigne's Fantastic Monsters and the Construction of Gender 2. Representing the Monster: Cognition, Cripples, and Other Limp Parts in "Des boyteux" (III, 11) Part II. Death Sentences 3. Montaigne's Fraternity: La Boetie on Trial 4. Montaigne on Horseback, or the Simulation of Death 5. The Anxiety of Death: Narrative and Subjectivity in "De la diversion" (III, 4) 6. Excavating Montaigne: The Essayist on Trial Part III. Philosophical Impostures 7. The Socratic Makeover: The Ethics of the Impossible in "De la phisionomie" (III, 12) 8. Romancing the Stone: "De l'experience" (III, 13) Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn this exhilarating and learned book on Montaigne's essays, Lawrence D. Kritzman contemporizes the great writer. Reading him from today's deconstructive America, Kritzman discovers Montaigne always already deep into a dialogue with Jacques Derrida and psychoanalysis. One cannot but admire this fabulous act of translation. -- Helene Cixous, author of White Ink: Interviews on Sex, Text, and Politics Throughout his career, Lawrence D. Kritzman has demonstrated an intimate knowledge of Montaigne's essays and an engagement with French philosophy and critical theory. The Fabulous Imagination sheds precious new light on one of the founders of modern individualism and on his crucial quest for self-knowledge. -- Jean Starobinski, professor emeritus of French literature, University of Geneva Lawrence D. Kritzman is centered on the way Montaigne's essays are self-contained expositions of ambivalence and unresolved tension about the difficulties of living, negotiating, and being in the world. He brings us back to archaic but vital issues that haunt us: to monsters and nightmares; to fear of impotence; to thoughts about the end of filial lines; to the ways that writing exhumes and thus copes with traumatic memories; to mimicry not as a way of representing the world but as a tactic of diverting, deflecting, and ultimately assuaging its violence. A strong and enduring contribution not only to early modern study but also to the importance of theory insofar as it can be displaced into and out of the works of canonical authors. -- Tom Conley, Abbott Lawrence Lowell Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard University Kritzman, whose scholarship and erudition are apparent on every page, skillfully analyzes Montaigne's response to each of these traumas... Highly recommended. Choice Although other books will help modern readers understand Montaigne's place in the intellectual context of the sixteenth century, Kritzman's study achieves something rare in showing how Montaigne's imagination allowed him to confront the reality of his own everyday life. In this way, the Fabulous Imagination proves itself a historical text, but one that filters historical consciousness through a modern and personal prism. A unique mix of the personal, the historical, and the theoretical, the Fabulous Imagination brings Montaigne's Essays into focus as only a highly sensitive author with an extensive knowledge of both history and theory can. -- Michael Randall Substance Essential reading for any student or scholar of Montaigne's essays. Lawrence D. Kritzman... consistently balances a profound understanding of Montaigne's essays with a broad and diverse knowledge of postmodern theory, in the process offering illuminating readings of these texts. -- Kathleen Long The Comparatist The book offers a summary of the work of a major scholar of French Renaissance studies, and hence a showcase of the reading practices that marked the era in which this work first became prominent. -- Hassan Melehy H-France Kritzman's powerful insights lead us to understand the Essais in a new light, -- Elisabeth Hodges Sixteenth Century JournalTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Montaigne Is Theory Part I. Monster Theory 1. Montaigne's Fantastic Monsters and the Construction of Gender 2. Representing the Monster: Cognition, Cripples, and Other Limp Parts in "Des boyteux" (III, 11) Part II. Death Sentences 3. Montaigne's Fraternity: La Boetie on Trial 4. Montaigne on Horseback, or the Simulation of Death 5. The Anxiety of Death: Narrative and Subjectivity in "De la diversion" (III, 4) 6. Excavating Montaigne: The Essayist on Trial Part III. Philosophical Impostures 7. The Socratic Makeover: The Ethics of the Impossible in "De la phisionomie" (III, 12) 8. Romancing the Stone: "De l'experience" (III, 13) Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisToo often the study of philosophical texts is carried out in ways that do not pay significant attention to how the ideas contained within them are presented, articulated, and developed. This was not always the case. The contributors to this collected work consider Jewish philosophy in the medieval period, when new genres and forms of written expression were flourishing in the wake of renewed interest in ancient philosophy. Many medieval Jewish philosophers were highly accomplished poets, for example, and made conscious efforts to write in a poetic style. This volume turns attention to the connections that medieval Jewish thinkers made between the literary, the exegetical, the philosophical, and the mystical to shed light on the creativity and diversity of medieval thought. As they broaden the scope of what counts as medieval Jewish philosophy, the essays collected here consider questions about how an argument is formed, how text is put into the service of philosophy, and the social andTrade ReviewThis well-written, accessible collection demonstrates a maturation in Jewish studies and medieval philosophy. It convincingly opens up the canon of philosophical texts and authors, and will enrich readers' understanding of the diverse literary forms of medieval Jewish philosophical projects. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Comprising sophisticated scholarship and realizing its goal of challenging conventions in the study of medieval Jewish philosophy, [Medieval Jewish Philosophy] convincingly advocates for a fruitful approach that, it may be hoped, others will be inspired to pursue. * H-Judaic *Table of ContentsIntroduction / Aaron W. Hughes and James T. Robinson1. Animal Fables and Medieval Jewish Philosophy / Kalman P. Bland, z'l2. Biblical Commentaries as a Genre of Jewish Philosophical Writing / Raphael Dascalu3. Commentaries on The Guide of the Perplexed: A Brief Literary History / Igor H. de Souza4. Philosophical Commentary and Supercommentary: The Hebrew Aristotelean Commentaries of the Fourteenth through Sixteenth Centuries / Yehuda Halper5. The Author's Haqdamah as a Literary Form in Jewish Thought / Steven Harvey6. Does Judaism Make Sense? Early Medieval Kalām as Literature / Gyongyi Hegedus7. Dialogues / Aaron W. Hughes8. Poetry / Aaron W. Hughes9. Poetic Summaries of Scientific and Philosophical Works / Maud Kozodoy10. The Philosophical Epistle as a Genre of Medieval Jewish Philosophy / Charles Manekin11. The Sermon in Late Medieval Jewish Thought as Method for Popularizing Philosophy / Chaim Meir Neria12. Lexicons and Lexicography in Medieval Jewish Philosophy / James T. Robinson13. Theological Summas in Late Medieval Jewish Philosophy / Shira WeissIndex

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Book SynopsisDuns Scotus's Doctrine of Categories and Meaningis a key text for the origins of Martin Heidegger's concept of facticity. Originally submitted as a postdoctoral thesis in 1915, it focuses on the 13th-century philosopher-theologian John Duns Scotus. Heidegger first analyzes Scotus's doctrine of categories,then offers a meticulous explanation of theGrammatica Speculativa, a work of medieval grammar now known to be authored by the Modist grammarian Thomas of Erfurt. Taken together, these investigations represent an early foray into Heidegger's lifelong philosophical concerns, the question of being in the guise of the problem of categories and the question of language in the guise of the doctrine of meaning.This new and unique translation of one of Heidegger's earliest works offers an important look at his early thinking before the question of being became his central concern and will appeal to readers exploring Heidegger's philosophical development, medieval philosophy, phenomenological iTrade Review"Heidegger's early engagement with medieval philosophy via neo-Kantian logic foreshadows his later explorations of being, truth, and meaning. He concludes by challenging himself to grapple with "historical spirit." Bagchee and Gower's meticulous translation brings this formative phase of Heidegger's thought to English-speaking readers."—Richard Polt, Xavier University"Heidegger's Habilitationsschrift, submitted to the University of Freiburg in 1915, at the age of twenty-six, takes up themes central to scholastic ontology and logic: the categories of reality and the differentiations of meaning. Quite traditional topics, these are not themes that one might suspect would help open the way to the revolutionary work of 1927, Being and Time. And yet: here one sees the phenomenological gifts already at work in the young Heidegger. Here one finds the early formulations of the hermeneutics of facticity and the first hints of the notion of formal indication – one finds the earliest signs of the revolutionary work to come. Ably translated, this text offers insights into key problems of scholasticism as well as into the genesis of the philosophical revolutionary that Heidegger would soon become."—Dennis Schmidt, Western Sydney University"With this careful and scholarly translation of Heidegger's postdoctoral thesis, Bagchee and Gower have provided an indispensible resource for anyone seeking to understand the trajectory of Heidegger's early thinking. A splendid achievement."—William McNeill, DePaul UniversityTable of ContentsTranslator's PrefaceAcknowledgmentsForeword to the First Edition of Frühe Schriften (1972)Duns Scotus's Doctrine of Categories and Meaning ForewordIntroduction: The Necessity of Examining Scholasticism from the Perspective of the History of ProblemsPart I: The Doctrine of CategoriesFirst Chapter: The Unum: Mathematical, Natural, and Metaphysical RealitySecond Chapter: The Verum: Logical and Psychic RealityThird Chapter: Linguistic Form and Linguistic Content: The Domain of MeaningPart II: The Doctrine of MeaningFirst Chapter: Meaning and Meaning Function: Principles of the Doctrine of MeaningSecond Chapter: The Doctrine of the Forms of MeaningsConclusion: The Problem of CategoriesAuthor's NoticeBibliographical ReferencesEditor's AfterwordEnglish-German GlossaryGerman-English GlossaryIndex of NamesSubject Index

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Book SynopsisIn this classic work, Frederick C. Copleston, S.J., outlines the development of philosophical reflection in Christian, Islamic, and Jewish thought from the ancient world to the late medieval period. A History of Medieval Philosophy is an invaluable general introduction that also includes longer treatments of such leading thinkers as Aquinas, Scotus, and Ockham.Trade Review"There is always room for a new look at old things when it is taken by a master who is not afraid to make up his own mind or to accept a justified consensus of opinion, and such is the book now before us. There is nothing better of its size on the market." —Heythrop Journal"To write well a history of ideas is notoriously difficult. Dr. Frederick Copleston, an established master who has made both historians and philosophers sit at his feet by his well-known History of Philosophy, wrote some years ago a short account of medieval philosophy. This little book he has now remade and expanded to become a substantial survey." —Spectator

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Book SynopsisIn this volume, the author presents, translates, and offers an interpretation of Aquinas's ""De Principiis Naturae"" and his ""De Mixtione Elementorum"". He reflects on what Aquinas says about matter and form and the elements in various contexts and throughout his works.Trade Review“. . . Joseph Bobik offers some genuine, straightforward, and unencumbered philosophy using the words of Thomas Aquinas as a point of departure. Aquinas on Matter and Form and the Elements is ‘must’ reading for all scholars and students of the works of Thomas Aquinas.” —The Midwest Book Review“Congratulations and thanks to Joseph Bobik for having provided a translation that is both accurate and readable of Thomas’s De principiis naturae and De mixitone elementorum.” –The Thomist“This work is a companion to Bobik’s earlier translation and commentary on Aquinas’s On Being and Essence. The Principles of Nature introduces the reader to the basic Aristotelian principles such as matter and form, the four causes so fundamental to Aquinas’s philosophy. On Mixture of the Elements *examines the question of how the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) remain within the physical things composed from them. Bobik gives probably the first published English translation of this work by Aquinas. He includes a section that puts some of the issues raised into a broader context by relating Aquinas’s theory both to modern physics, especially the Big Bang theory, and to the work of a little-known medieval Jewish philosopher, Nahmanides.” —Religious Studies Review*“Bobik gives a quick, easily digestible translation and discussion of Aquinas’ physical theories, most suitable for those with a prevailing interest in the Thomistic worldview.” —Philosophy in Review“This book offers a translation of Aquinas’s De Principiis Naturae (circa 1252) and De Mixione Elementorum (1273) accompanied by a continuous commentary, followed by two essays: “Elements in the Composition of Physical Substances” and “The Elements in Aquinas and the Elements Today.” The unity of the volume rests in the question of the composition of natural things (whether out of matter and form, or out of the elements). . . . Bobik’s translation is remarkably clear.” —The Review of Metaphysics

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Book SynopsisPublished in 1913 as La Philosophie Bergsonienne, this incisive critique of the thought of Henri Bergson was Jacques Maritain''s (18821973) first book. In it he shows himself already to have an authoritative grasp of the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and an uncanny ability to demonstrate its relevance to alternative philosophical systems such as that of Henri Bergson. Volume 1 in the series The Collected Works of Jacques Maritain, this edition faithfully reproduces the 1955 translation published by the Philosophical Library. It would be difficult to overestimate Bergson's role in extricating French philosophy from the deadening materialism that dominated the Sorbonne. It was that cultural milieu that brought Maritain and his wife Raïssa to the brink of suicide. They drew back for two major reasons. First were the lectures of Henri Bergson at the Collège de France, in which the Maritains found a defense of metaphysics, of the transcendent beyond the material, wiTrade Review"Maritain's (1882-1973) first published book was La Philosophie Bergsonienne (1913), which so harshly criticized Henri Bergson that he made a point of urging readers of his later books to study him. It also established his credentials as a major commentator on the thought of Thomas Aquinas. This 1995 translation for the Philosophical Library edition inaugurates the series of Maritain's collected works." —Reference and Research Book News

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Book SynopsisJames Diamond''s new book consists of a series of studies addressing Moses Maimonides'' (11381204) appropriation of marginal figureslepers, converts, heretics, and othersnormally considered on the fringes of society and religion. Each chapter focuses on a type or character that, in Maimonides'' hands, becomes a metaphor for a larger, more substantive theological and philosophical issue. Diamond offers a close reading of key texts, such as the Guide of the Perplexed and the Mishneh Torah, demonstrating the importance of integrating Maimonides'' legal and philosophical writings.Converts, Heretics, and Lepers fills an important void in Jewish studies by focusing on matters of exegesis and hermeneutics as well as philosophical concerns. Diamond''s alternative reading of central topics in Maimonides suggests that literary appreciation is a key to deciphering Maimonides'' writings in particular and Jewish exegetical texts in general.Trade Review“Diamond takes a linguistic pebble and throws it into the sea of Maimonides' thought, following the ripples where they lead: verses connect to verses and to rabbinic glosses upon them, which in turn lead to further exegetical and philosophical ripples. In addition to being an extraordinarily learned and careful reader, and in addition to being a deep thinker, James A. Diamond is also a fine craftsperson of the English language-the book is a joy to read.” —Shofar “This richly detailed book presents a fascinating study of the way Moses Maimonides, the supreme medieval Jewish philosopher, uses marginal figures to define broader philosophical issues. . . . For this study Diamond draws equally on Maimonides' philosophical writings and on his halakhic (legal) writings, demonstrating the interplay between these genres. This examination of figures on the margins provides a filter to allow Maimonides to explore ideal characteristics in a unique way.” —Congregational Libraries Today“. . . James A. Diamond presents a refreshing, if somewhat unconventional, approach to Maimonidean interpretation, which, if integrated with the prevailing philological contextualization, will undoubtedly lead to fruitful conclusions as to the intentions of the Guide.” —Speculum“In this remarkable book, James A. Diamond continues his project of close and sensitive readings of the Maimonidean corpus. Taking the Rambam at his word in the introduction to the Guide of the Perplexed, Diamond leads us into the inner recesses of that and other works to revel in the master’s religious and poetic artistry, thereby revealing something of the hidden desires and fractures in Maimonides’ positioning of philosophy vis-à-vis religion.” —H-Judaic“James Diamond's book about Maimonides is a welcome addition to the regular stream of books about the thinker Jews have rightly called ‘the great eagle.’ His unique contribution to the Maimonidean literature is to show that the true Jewish philosopher like Maimonides is always an outsider in ordinary Jewish thought, and he is thus uniquely able to appreciate and explicate what Jews and other worshipers of the One God have to learn from other outsiders like himself.” —David Novak, J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Toronto". . . a series of extraordinarily close readings of core texts of Maimonides', readings which illuminate the delicate interplay of philosophical and religious ideas in Maimonides. In his previous work, Diamond convincingly illustrated the way in which Maimonides carefully chooses, subtly interprets, and circumspectly weaves together rabbinic materials to address philosophers and talmudists alike, each in their own idiom. This book is a further expression of Diamond's mastery of this intricate methodology and is a work to be studied and re-studied. All students of Maimonides are in his debt." —Menachem Kellner, University of Haifa“Converts, Heretics, and Lepers is a very sophisticated exploration of Maimonidean religious philosophy. Although there have been numerous studies on Maimonides, perhaps more than any other Jewish thinker, James Diamond manages to approach the master from fresh perspectives. The result is a stunningly lucid and deep engagement with Maimonides.” —Elliot Wolfson, Abraham Lieberman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University

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Book SynopsisJohn Buridan (ca. 13001361) was the most famous philosophy teacher of his time, and probably the most influential. In this important new book, Jack Zupko offers the first systematic exposition of Buridan's thought to appear in any language. Zupko uses Buridan's own conception of the order and practice of philosophy to depict the most salient features of his thought, beginning with his views on the nature of language and logic and then illustrating their application to a series of topics in metaphysics, natural philosophy, and ethics.Part 1 of John Buridan considers the picture of language and logic developed in Buridan's Summulae de dialectica. Buridan systematically overhauled the logic he first learned and later taught at the University of Paris, redeeming the older tradition of Aristotelian logic in terms, propositions, and arguments. This made possible newer and more powerful forms of philosophical discourse. The second part of this volume provides a reading of BTrade Review"Zupko's John Buridan…. is the first full-length synthetic work on Buridan to appear in English. This book is not only a thorough exposition of Buridan's logic and a select number of related topics, but it also provides an excellent introduction to medieval philosophy as understood by one of its most accomplished late-medieval practitioners." —Speculum"…it is an excellent book, and will… do a great deal to make Buridan's philosophical views more accessible to philosophers who are not mediaeval specialists. Zupko's work [is] an excellent and informative addition to our knowledge of Buridan." —Philosophy in Review“This book is at once an accessible introduction to nominalist philosophy and an intellectual biography of one of the most important figures in the history of Scholasticism.” —First Things"Jack Zupko's excellent book offers the coherent overall picture of John Buridan's thoughts that the subject has been waiting for. ...I admire Jack Zupko's achievement. This book is an excellent piece of work, which will help to rescue the legacy of John Buridan from neglect." —The Philosophical Quarterly“Zupko’s book is a work by one of the leading scholars on Buridan and a considerable contribution to Buridan studies.” —Ars Disputandi“Zupko’s book combines breadth with detailed analysis of the sources.” —Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews“There is much to commend in this treatment of Buridan.” —ISIS“In this outstanding book, Zupko provides the first critical study in any language of the philosophy of one of the most significant arts masters of the 14th century, John Buridan. This work of impeccable scholarship in the history of late medieval thought will interest all scholars of medieval philosophy.” —Choice“... edifying for modern philosophers. For the historians, the book is a goldmine of information and a useful synopsis of what we know of this prominent 14th-century forerunner of the modern period.” —The Medieval Review“Buridan’s thought as a whole deserves to be better known, and in this comprehensive examination of it Zupko has provided a model of historical and philosophical scholarship.” —Dialogue“Jack Zupko's John Buridan: Portrait of a Fourteenth-Century Arts Master argues that 'virtually all of Buridan's written work is based on the arts curriculum at Paris, and reflects his pedagogical concerns as a member of that faculty' and that 'Buridan made his most lasting contribution as a teacher.' Besides emphasizing Buridan's role as a teacher in the Arts Faculty at Paris, Zupko sees Buridan as an early leading figure in the secularization of philosophy, that is, in its separation from theology.” —History of Universities

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Book SynopsisThe thirteenth-century logician Lambert of Auxerre was well known for his Summa Lamberti, or simply Logica, written in the mid-1250s, which became an authoritative textbook on logic in the Western tradition. Our knowledge of medieval logic comes in great part from Lambert''s Logica and three other texts: William of Sherwood''s Introductiones in logicam, Peter of Spain''s Tractatus, and Roger Bacon''s Summulae dialectics. Of the four, Lambert''s work is the best example of question-summas that proceed principally by asking and answering questions on the subject matter. Thomas S. Maloney''s translation of Logica, the only complete translation of this work in any language, is a milestone in the study of medieval logic. More than simply a translation, Maloney''s project is a critical, comprehensive study of Lambert''s logic situated in the context of his contemporaries and predecessors. As such, it offers a wealth of annotation and commenTrade Review"Thomas S. Maloney fully commands the primary and secondary sources necessary to elucidate Lambert's Logica. An expert on Roger Bacon's philosophy, he demonstrates a rare proficiency in medieval Latin and Scholastic logic. His references to sources from the ancient (Aristotle and Boethius) and medieval worlds are apposite, perspicuous, and useful. The volume's presentation with an appropriate introduction and commentary in the endnotes will no doubt establish it as an indispensable resource for scholars in the twenty-first century." —Alan Perreiah, University of Kentucky"This is an invaluable addition to the growing library of medieval logic sources available in English. Thomas S. Maloney’s translation is highly readable. His comprehensive overview of the state of research on Lambert’s life and work will be a reference-point for future scholars working on thirteenth-century Latin logic." —Paul Thom, University of Sydney"With this well-crafted translation with a first-rate introduction and notes on Lambert of Auxerre’s Logica, Thomas S. Maloney has again established himself as a very able translator and commentator on thirteenth-century logic. Now many scholars will be able to study Lambert, Roger Bacon, and Peter of Spain in the context of the period 1240–1260. This new and excellent translation will be a great help to all who study medieval philosophy. The introduction contains a comprehensive account of the identity of Lambert of Auxerre." —Jeremiah Hackett, University of South Carolina"This translation of the Summa (or Logica) of Lambert, commonly said to be from Auxerre, is a useful addition to current translations of medieval texts, in particular logical ones. Thomas S. Maloney, the translator, also has written extensive notes and a long introduction. The translation is reliable, with some caveats noted below. The book is very well produced, with a good bibliography." —Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews“Thomas Maloney offers us a critical translation of a mid-thirteenth-century logic text, Logica, or Summa Lamberti, written by Lambert of Auxerre. The translation is replete with notes and includes an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources. Prominent histories of western philosophy make scant reference, if any, to Lambert of Auzerre and his Logica . . . so Maloney’s fresh translation and critical introduction may be found relevant to subsequent research in the history of medieval philosophy of logic.” —Comitatus

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Book SynopsisThis book debates the controversy over whether or not it is possible to love God more than oneself through natural powers alone. Thirteenth-century philosophers and theologians study how one's own good is achieved through virtuous action and how to adapt Aristotle's philosophical insights to a Christian framework.Trade Review"Twenty-first century readers are likely to be more interested in the love of self than the love of God. They may be surprised to find how much the understanding of each of these loves can teach us about the other. Thomas Osborne's excellent book makes thirteenth century ethics highly relevant to twenty-first century readers." —Alasdair MacIntyre, University of Notre Dame“This book is an ambituous, technically innovative account of the nature of God.” —Australasian Journal of Philosophy"The book aims to treat the 'thirteenth-century debate concerning the natural love of God over self with an eye to how the thinkers of this period saw the connections between one's own good and the aims of virtuous action'. . . This is a complex volume, based on close textual analysis and intricate tracing of intellectual relationships and developments." —The Heythrop Journal“Love of Self and Love of God in the Thirteenth-Century Ethics is an excellent book, representing a most ambitious project . . . [it] remains an excellent resource for experts and for scholars with broad research interests and integrative approaches. It is also well suited to serve as a graduate level textbook. Osborne’s erudition is vast and his general analysis, accurate.” —American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly“The theme of this book is the medieval discussion of the question whether one can naturally love God more than one can love oneself… Those who have an interest in medieval moral theory will gain from this book a greater knowledge of important themes in the writings of medieval thinkers in the thirteenth century.” —The Review of Metaphysics“The self seeks its own completion; yet paradoxically this self-completion, properly understood, requires self-abandonment. Thomas Osborne's book is devoted to this paradox, which it approaches from the point of view of the tension between Aristotelian eudaemonism and the Christian commandment to love God above all else, including oneself.” —Speculum“Osborne provides a dense read of an important topic, the natural love of God over self. . . . He explores in what way Aquinas and Scotus are alike and different in explaining that we ought to love God more than ourselves and that in doing so we find our happiness.” —Theological Studies“Thomas M. Osborne's study of the development of thirteenth-century ethics focuses on a thematic that has not received the attention it deserves: the relationship of love of self to love of God. . . . This is an extremely good introduction to the ethical debates of the thirteenth century, providing a wealth of textual and bibliographical resources.” —The Thomist“Thomas Osborne's study is doubly successful-first as a careful account of the historical sources and multiple layers of concerns shaping thirteenth-century debates about whether God can be naturally loved more than oneself. Second, it is also an excellent articulation of the metaphysical and conceptual gaps between ancient and medieval eudaimonistic ethical theories and contemporary morality.” —Journal of the History of Philosophy"This book is solidly historical, its feet firmly planted in the relevant medieval texts. And yet its arguments could not be more relevant to contemporary Christian theology, so marked as it is by the debate over the natural desire for beatitude." —Kevin L. Flannery, S.J., Pontifical Gregorian University

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Book SynopsisThis books covers an important period in the debate over religion and public schools and the legislative history of the fight over federal aid to education from 1918 to 1932.Trade Review“Slawson's book is most concerned with the Smith-Towner Act of 1918 and successor bills that, depending on one's perspective, promised or threatened federal funding, centralization, and control of education throughout the country.” —American Historical Review“This is a solid legislative history of the fight over federal aid to education from 1918 to 1932. The research is thorough and the topic is important.” —John McGreevy, University of Notre Dame". . . The book is an exceptional historical work. Little was known about these issues and the role of the NCWC in protecting the Catholic educational system, while trying, best as could be done in the situation, not to portray the Catholic Church as hostile to public schools. The author left no stone unturned in his relentless quest to report what was going forward, and how people and editors were interpreting, and misinterpreting, what was happening." —American Catholic Studies"In this well-researched volume, Slawson covers an important period in the debate over religion and public schools. Slawson details the conflict over public education between American Catholics and Protestants from the end of WWI to the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt. In a clear and meticulous manner, the author sheds light on a forgotten part of church-state history. Recommended." —Choice"The meticulous and massive documentation (forty-nine pages of endnotes) will make Slawson's study the definitive work on this important but neglected aspect of twentieth-century American Catholicism." —The Catholic Historical Review"Slawson certainly deserves a place on the research shelf in every Catholic school since his work explains the reluctance of Pastors and Bishops in the 40s, 50s, 60s and even the early 70s to accept any governmental financial aid seeing in that a move toward federal control of the schools." —Catholic Library World

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Book SynopsisAs a cure for modernity's individualism, Remi Brague urges a return to medieval thinking to illustrate why humanity and civilizations are goods worth promoting and preserving.Trade Review“Rémi Brague is a most singular polyglot and polymath, not to mention one of Europe’s wisest and wittiest Christian intellectuals. Curing Mad Truths is an impressive collection of his addresses to English-speaking audiences. As with all of Brague’s work, the volume uniquely combines cleverness and profound insight.” —Douglas Kries, Gonzaga University "With his distinctive combination of philological, philosophical, and historical erudition that ranges from the ancient world to our present moment, Rémi Brague poses more to ponder in each of these essays—about God and the good, creation and culture, virtues and values, modernity and meaning—than most writers manage to convey in a book. At issue, ultimately, is whether human beings have the will and wherewithal to go on living in a humane manner. Curing Mad Truths is a gem, and the stakes couldn’t be higher." —Brad Gregory, University of Notre Dame “Brague's Curing Mad Truths is a radical assault on many of the things taken for granted in modern liberal societies… It calls us to reconnect the branches of truth upon which modernity sits to the metaphysical trunk from which they have been severed. It's a provocative, convincing, and accessible little book by an important scholar, and it deserves wide attention.” —Faith and Theology"Brague argues that the modern world is dying because it cannot answer the question of why it should live. To answer that question will require humility, according to Brague, because it is medieval truths about God, man, reason, and nature that are necessary for renewal." —The Catholic World Report"Rémi Brague argues that the modern project has failed, and that the source of the failure is a kind of heresy. To be sure, he does not himself use that word. But it is an apt label for what he describes. Modernity, on Brague’s account, is defined by several ideas it borrowed from Christianity, while at the same time it rejects the larger conceptual context that made those ideas intelligible." —Catholic Herald"Remi Brague this month releases a new book arguing for a reevaluation of medieval thought. . . . It’s Brague’s first book in English. . . . Curing Mad Truths will be of interest to a learned audience of philosophers, historians, and medievalists." —Law and Religion Forum“The brevity of this anthology... does not prevent the careful reader from gazing beyond its idealism. Like many thinkers, Brague may be less useful in directing us away from our predicament to our fulfillment. But he does restore a wise insight into a conservative approach... which treasures aesthetic and nourishing measures to bring back to life deadened sensibilities of billions who seek, deep down, lasting meaning.” —Spectrum Culture Magazine"While he argues convincingly for the superiority of abandoned ways of thinking, Brague is not a ‘restorationist’ seeking to return us to an idealized past, his concern is to point out the weaknesses in the conversations we are having and so to improve them and our chances of a better future. He is a delightful, witty, interlocutor. He makes his vast learning accessible and relevant, providing a master-class in critical thinking all can attend." —Irish Catholic"Culture and politics are different, but they are not separate. They influence one another in unpredictable ways. Rémi Brague has given us a most insightful analysis of one half, perhaps more than a half, of the pairing that encompasses our human experience." —Society“Should humanity survive and adapt itself to the modern project? More specifically, now that humanity has commodified its existence (being) . . . is its existence better than its nonexistence? . . . These are the questions at the center of . . . Rémi Brague‘s . . . short collection of essays consisting primarily of unpublished lectures given in Europe and North America.” —The Review of Politics“Brague proposes that the medieval Christian view demonstrates the good of man’s existence by reorienting him to God and Creation.” —Catholic Social Science Review“This intriguing cultural critique will prove useful to anyone exploring how the modern world came to be and how a disciple of a more classical tradition might respond to the decadence of society in the modern period.” —Homiletic and Pastoral Review"Curing Mad Truths, a short collection of essays and lectures, is Rémi Brague’s plea for ‘some sort of return to the Middle Ages’...in the teeth of the ideology of Modernity which, he posits, threatens human flourishing and even survival.... Although many will reject his assessment, few philosophers are better placed to handle these matters than Brague, professor emeritus at the Sorbonne, a noted multi-disciplinary intellectual." —The New Bioethics"Curing Mad Truths might, from the title, look like just one more expression of Catholic nostalgia for a bygone age that the secular world has dismissed as the Dark Ages. But Brague has in mind quite specific and sophisticated points of medieval wisdom that need to be recovered, even as he would want to reform or reject other parts of that heritage." —The Catholic Thing

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Book SynopsisIt is generally agreed that those types of philosophy that are loosely called ''Platonic'' and ''Neoplatonic'' played a crucial role in the history of European culture during the centuries between antiquity and the Renaissance. However, until now no scholar has attempted to describe the evolution of these forms of thought in a single comprehensive academic study. So writes Stephen Gersh in the preface to Middle Platonism and Neoplatonism: The Latin Tradition.Stephen Gersh's two-volume survey of Platonic influences upon the Middle Ages focuses on questions that are basic to scholars of medieval philosophy, history, and literature: What was the influence of Plato's philosophy during the Middle Ages? Is it correct to consider earlier medieval philosophy as Platonic? How do Platonism and Neoplatonism differ? What do Platonic and Neoplatonic modes of thought have to do with Plato?Most medieval philosophers developed their doctrines without access to the greatest inte

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"McInerny ... does a good job of relating the key concepts in Aquinas's natural and supernatural theologies. This is a reliable introduction for people who are not already experts in Thomistic studies—and it has many insights for those few who are." —Vernon J. Bourke"McInerny ... has written a compact and lucid introduction to the philosophy of Aquinas that manages to be philosophical at the same time. By a liberal use of quotation and paraphrase McInerny presents Aquinas's own arguments for evaluation, drawing us into the inner works of his philosophy. This method, coupled with McInerny's sure touch, makes Aquinas speak directly and forcefully as a philosopher." —International Philosophical Quarterly“This is an excellent short introduction to the life and work of its subject. It is a pleasure to recommend this modest and distinguished book as perhaps the best short introduction to the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas available in English.” —Scottish Journal of Theology“[McInerny] presents the thought of Aquinas with precision and care, and adorns it with insights which will doubtless delight, and enlighten, even the seasoned reader of Aquinas.” —The Thomist“. . .an invaluable little resource book on a great thinker.” —Studies in Formative Spirituality“McInerny should attract new readers to St. Thomas and give fresh insights to those who already know him somewhat. His book is remarkably comprehensive.” —The Heythrop Journal

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Book SynopsisHow do we judge whether we should be willing to follow the views of experts or whether we ought to try to come to our own, independent views? This book seeks the answer in medieval philosophical thought.In this engaging study into the history of philosophy and epistemology, Peter Adamson provides an answer to a question as relevant today as it was in the medieval period: how and when should we turn to the authoritative expertise of other people in forming our own beliefs? He challenges us to reconsider our approach to this question through a constructive recovery of the intellectual and cultural traditions of the Islamic world, the Byzantine Empire, and Latin Christendom.Adamson begins by foregrounding the distinction in Islamic philosophy between taqlid, or the uncritical acceptance of authority, and ijtihad, or judgment based on independent effort, the latter of which was particularly prized in Islamic law, theology, and philosophy Trade Review“This is a highly original work in its combination of popular and scholarly themes. Adamson weaves together a number of disparate sources under the broad theme of the epistemic legitimacy of authority, many of them unexpected companions.” —Deborah L. Black, author of Logic and Aristotle’s “Rhetoric” and “Poetics” in Medieval Arabic Philosophy"Don’t Think for Yourself is a timely intervention from the past into the present. And while it is up to the individual reader to decide who they think offers the best insight today, Peter Adamson offers us a chance to have a dialogue across the generations, cultures and geographies. . . . We may not agree with what our predecessors thought about expertise and our relationship to it, but reading them might trigger a new way of thinking about our problems. A thoughtful, engaging and erudite book that leaves one wanting more." —The New Arab"Thoughtful, lucid, and concise... A book which can be read fruitfully not only by medievalists of all disciplines, but also by anyone interested in the philosophic contributions of the past." —The Medieval ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Taqlīd: Authority and the Intellectual Elite in the Islamic World 2. Too High a Standard: Knowledge and Skepticism in Medieval Philosophy 3. Testing the Prophets: Reason and the Choice of Faiths 4. Using the Pagans: Reason in Interreligious Debate 5. Some Pagans are Better than Others: the Merits of Plato and Aristotle 6. Finding Their Voices: Women in Byzantine and Latin Christian Philosophy 7. The Rule of Reason: Human and Animal Nature

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Book SynopsisA thoroughgoing examination of Maximus Confessor's singular theological vision through the prism of Christ's cosmic and historical Incarnation.Jordan Daniel Wood changes the trajectory of patristic scholarship with this comprehensive historical and systematic study of one of the most creative and profound thinkers of the patristic era: Maximus Confessor (560662 CE). Wood''s panoramic vantage on Maximus's thought emulates the theological depth of Hans Urs von Balthasar's Cosmic Liturgy while also serving as a corrective to that classic text.Maximus''s theological vision may be summed up in his enigmatic assertion that the Word of God, very God, wills always and in all things to actualize the mystery of his Incarnation. The Whole Mystery of Christ sets out to explicate this claim. Attentive to the various contexts in which Maximus thought and wroteincluding the wisdom of earlier church fathers, conciliar developments in Christological aTrade Review“The Whole Mystery of Christ offers a brilliant interpretation . . . and both its novelty and its audacity will make for an intense and hopefully fruitful theological discussion in the years ahead. This book offers a new paradigm for Maximus scholarship and does it superbly well.” —Hans Boersma, author of Embodiment and Virtue in Gregory of Nyssa"Wood’s contribution lies not simply in his own speculative audacity, but also in an unremitting willingness to take Maximus at his word without lazily assigning the most challenging formulations to hyperbole. Consequently, this book provides endlessly rich material for reflection and argument. Wood’s ingeniously original interpretation demonstrates that Maximus is still as revolutionary and enigmatic a Christian thinker now as he ever was, and that the real Maximus needs to be rescued from the sort of scholarship that has too often sought to tame his exorbitant genius." —David Bentley Hart, author of You Are Gods"Jordan Wood makes a compelling case that creation is itself 'incarnation,' the radical identification of the Creator not just 'in' the creation or 'with' the creation but 'as' the creation. Wood skillfully analyzes key texts in drawing out the ramifications of this thesis for Maximus’s Christology, cosmology, and other aspects of his doctrine. The Whole Mystery of Christ will certainly engage important new discussion of one of the most prolific thinkers of the Eastern Christian tradition." —Paul Blowers, author of Maximus the Confessor"Jordan Daniel Wood’s The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus the Confessor sets out to free Maximus the Confessor from the captivity of scholarly discourses that have misperceived him." —Reading Religion"Wood's tour de force asks the very valuable and interesting systematic questions so often missing in historical theology." —Modern Theology"Wood's Maximian vision should enrich contemporary constructive discussions about the relationship of God to a fallen world that has yet to become creation in its fullness." —Christian Century"Wood engages vigorously with much recent Maximian scholarship and offers a lively and distinctive contribution of his own."—The Heythrop JournalTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Abbreviations Preface Introduction: The God-World Relation in Modern Maximus Scholarship 1. The Middle: Christo-Logic 2. The Beginning: Word becomes World 3. The End: World becomes Trinity 4. The Whole: Creation as Christ Conclusion: The Whole Mystery of Christ An Analytic Appendix of Key Concepts Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"There is always room for a new look at old things when it is taken by a master who is not afraid to make up his own mind or to accept a justified consensus of opinion, and such is the book now before us. There is nothing better of its size on the market." —Heythrop Journal"To write well a history of ideas is notoriously difficult. Dr. Frederick Copleston, an established master who has made both historians and philosophers sit at his feet by his well-known History of Philosophy, wrote some years ago a short account of medieval philosophy. This little book he has now remade and expanded to become a substantial survey." —Spectator

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Book SynopsisAlthough Pseudo-Dionysius was, after Aristotle, the author whom Thomas Aquinas quoted most frequently, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the role of this Neoplatonist thinker in the formation of Aquinas'' philosophy. Fran O''Rourke''s book is the only available work that investigates the pervasive influence of Pseudo-Dionysius on Aquinas, while at the same time examining the latter''s profound originality. Central themes discussed by O''Rourke include knowledge of the absolute, existence as the first and most universal perfection, the diffusion of creation, the hierarchy of creatures, and their return to God as final end. O''Rourke devotes special attention to the Neoplatonist element in Aquinas'' notion of being as intensity or degree of perfection. He also considers the relation of being and goodness in light of Aquinas'' nuanced reversal of Dionysius'' theory of the primacy of the good, and Aquinas'' arguments for the transcendental nature of goodness.Trade Review"This is one of the two or three most important books on Aquinas published in the last fifty years." —Alasdair MacIntyre, University of Notre Dame"The substantial and detailed analysis of the texts of both authors will prove an invaluable work of reference for students of Pseudo-Dionysius and Aquinas." —International Philosophical Quarterly"A truly magnificent study." —Angelicum"Although the argumentation of the book is subtle and profoundly conceived, it is stated with the most lucid and compelling clarity. The book was a labour of love and is certain to remain for many decades or more the standard work in an extraordinarily difficult area of the history of metaphysics." —International Journal of Philosophical Studies"The book's footnotes constitute a terrific, topically arranged guide to the primary sources." —Speculum“. . . the completeness of O’Rourke’s survey of the vast quantity of relevant (and often untranslated) text, as well as his extensive knowledge and prudent employment of the multilingual literature, make it a genuinely useful resource for scholars. . . Thus, because of its exhaustive historical scholarship, its even-handedness and its continued philosophical cogency, the reissue of O’Rourke’s book can be greeted with applause.” —Journal of Ecclesiastical History

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Book SynopsisThe Semantics of Analogy is the first book-length interpretive study in English of Thomas de Vio Cajetan''s (1469?-1534) classic treatise on analogy. Written in 1498, De Nominum Analogia (On the Analogy of Names) has long been treated as Cajetan''s attempt to systematize Aquinas's theory of analogy. A traditional interpretation regarded it as the official Thomistic treatise on analogy, but current scholarly consensus holds that Cajetan misinterpreted Aquinas and misunderstood the phenomenon of analogy.Both approaches, argues Joshua P. Hochschild, ignore the philosophical and historical context and fail to accurately assess Cajetan''s work. In The Semantics of Analogy, Hochschild reinterprets De Nominum Analogia as a significant philosophical treatise in its own right. He addresses some of the most well-known criticisms of Cajetan''s analogy theory and explicates the later chapters of De Nominum Analogia, which are usually ignored by commentaTrade Review“Cajetan’s work on analogy is ‘the’ classic, systematic account of this logico-linguistic phenomenon and its far-reaching metaphysical and epistemological implications. While historians of philosophy, especially Thomists, tended to evaluate Cajetan’s theory in terms of its faithfulness to Aquinas’ intentions, Hochschild’s work engages it from a systematic philosophical perspective, showing its relevance to contemporary theorizing about the subject, despite its historical and conceptual distance from contemporary research in the field. While always treating Cajetan’s work in its proper historical context, Hochschild’s down-to-earth philosophical style effortlessly closes the conceptual gap between Cajetan and us, breathing new life into Cajetan’s difficult, rarefied philosophical prose.” —Gyula Klima, Fordham University“Students of the Protestant Reformation may remember Cardinal Cajetan as Martin Luther’s key opponent during a crucial early phase of the reformer’s public career. . . . Joshua Hochschild’s careful analysis of Cajetan’s recondite defense of analogy late in the 15th century may yet once again challenge Protestants to become more self-conscious about how they speak about God, themselves, and the world in the early 21st century.” —Books and Culture“In this work, Joshua Hochschild presents the semantic principles of Cajetan’s understanding of analogy, arguing that they should be understood on their own terms and not as a commentary on Aquinas despite the inevitable comparisons between the two thinkers. Hochschild’s work is both readable and well argued and will no doubt expose Cajetan’s writings to a wider audience. Moreover, this volume should appeal to scholars interested in semantics and philosophy of language, as well as those interested in religious language and the history of philosophy.” —Journal of the History of Philosophy“In his study of De nominum analogia, Hochschild sets out to do two things. First, he demolishes what he describes as an outdated paradigm concerning the interpretation of Cajetan’s work. Second, Hochschild gives an explanation and what amounts to a paraphrase of Cajetan’s distinctions and arguments in their order of presentation. . . . this book should certainly be read by Thomists, and by anyone who wants a readable account of what Cajetan actually said.” —Philosophy Reviews“Re-reading this classic text required hermeneutical skills akin to untangling a knot tightened by generations of misreading, so readers engaging in the task with the author can only admire his deft hand. Hochschild sets out to restore the logical-grammatical perspective of the original text. After an illuminating analysis of Aristotle on analogical usage and a brief resume of key figures between Aristotle and Aquinas, Hochschild executes a hermeneutical tour-de-force, using Collingwood, Gadamer, and Thomas Kuhn to initiate a ‘new paradigm,’ one based on identifying the questions Cajetan actually faced rather than reading in the expectations later Thomists brought to the text.” —Nova et Vetera“Hochschild’s book provides a clear exposition of Cajetan’s doctrine and a philosophically intriguing analysis of it. . . . But for historians of philosophy generally, and historians of early modern philosophy of language in particular, Hochschild’s book provides a fabulous introduction to Cajetan’s historically and philosophically important doctrine and is an ideal companion for reading it.” —Philosophy in Review“In The Semantics of Analogy: Rereading Cajetan’s De Nominum Analogia, Joshua Hochschild takes on some of the most difficult issues, and, in a major contribution to the history of analogical discourse, convincingly shows why Cajetan (1469–1534) was not explicating Aquinas’ theory of analogy.” —Modern Theology“Hochschild convincingly argues that, considered as a philosophical response to a Scotistic criticism, Cajetan’s discussion of analogous naming is sophisticated and initially plausible. In general, the book is well written, enjoyable to read, and includes many rich discussions which cannot all be mentioned in a short book review.” —The Thomist“. . . this is an excellent and constructive contribution to a topic that is still of considerable relevance to the philosophical questions surrounding religious language.” —Journal of Theological Studies“This lucid . . . study is an account of Cajetan’s short work, De nominum analogia. After successfully refuting a number of earlier inaccurate accounts of the work’s nature and importance, Hochschild gives a useful extended paraphrase and explanation of the work’s contents. In so doing, he raises a number of interesting issues about late medieval semantics which call for further exploration.” —Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

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Book SynopsisLeaving so few traces of himself behind, Thomas Aquinas seems to defy the efforts of the biographer. What can be discovered about this man, his mind, and his soul? In this short, compelling portrait, the author clears away the haze of time and brings Thomas vividly to life for contemporary readers.Trade Review'. . . if you require an introduction to the ‘Angelic Doctor’, Turner’s magnificent book will serve you well.'—BBC History Magazine * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisOffers a look at Soka Gakkai Buddhism, one of Japan's most influential and controversial religious movements. In this work, an American professor of religion trying to come to terms with the death of his wife, travels to Japan in search of the spirit of the Soka Gakkai. Here, he tells of his journey.Trade Review"Seager does a superb job of giving outsiders an inside look at Soka Gakkai Buddhism." - David Machacek, author of Soka Gakkai in America: Accommodation and Conversion "This book paints vivid portraits of the major players of Soka Gakkai. Seager is forthright about the checkered political path Soka Gakkai has taken in Japan, while providing insight into why the rough spots occur." - Phillip Hammond, D. Mackenzie Brown Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara "Encountering the Dharma is a marvelous book that bristles with fresh observations about Japanness and Americanness, the local and the global, spirituality and secularity. Exhaustively researched and elegantly written, this is the definitive work on the globalization of Soka Gakkai." - Stephen Prothero, author of American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon"Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface 1. Mystic Opportunity 2. Creating Value 3. Mentor's Vision 4. Rising Star 5. Sea Change 6. Countervailing Trends 7. Zuiho-bini 8. World House 9. Intrepid Navigators Notes Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe first of three volumes which look at the history of scholastic humanism. This volume is concerned with the years between 1100 and 1160, when the main lines of scholastic thought were laid down and its agenda established.Trade Review"Here the 'practical, intellectual and spiritual aspects' of twelfth-century history are discussed by a historian whose knowledge of the period and mastery of the art of writing are almost without equal." History Today "The combination of synthesis with fresh and vivid work on detail is one of Southern's particular gifts ...The proportions of the book will fit harmoniously into the overarching structure outlined at the start of the book, but this volume can also stand just as well on its own - already a classic." Reviews in History "The recovery of scholasticism therefore calls for two qualities: technical expertise, and lucidity of thought and expression. No historian combines these qualities more conspicuously than R.W. Southern." Times Literary Supplement "This book is more than a synthesis of a life's work on twelfth-century Western culture by Britain's greatest medievalist - it is the most important book in recent decades on the twelfth-century renaissance and its significance. This is a book to be treasured and reflected upon for years to come." Norman F. Cantor, New York University "That such a sweeping vision is expressed so lucidly, while simultaneously conveying the human details and experience of the period with a combination of sensitivity and scholarly rigour, justifies the description by its first reviewers: 'masterpiece.'" Journal of Ecclesiastical HistoryTable of ContentsPreface. List of Maps and Plates. Abbreviations and Short Titles. Two Preliminary Maps. Introduction. PART ONE – AIMS, METHODS, AND ENVIRONMENT. 1 Scholastic Humanism. I Contrasting types of humanism. II Characteristic features of scholastic humanism. III The problem of the natural sciences. IV Summits of success. V The regulation of social life. VI The loss of hope. 2 Chartrian Humanism: A Romantic Misconception. I Introduction. II Humanism and the School of Chartres. III Replies to critics. 3 The Sovereign Textbook of the Schools: The Bible. I The qualities of the Bible in scholastic thought. II Methods of investigation. III Bringing the message of the schools to the world. 4 Social and Political Roots of Scholastic Thought. I Pre-scholastic and scholastic Europe. II The new symbiosis of schools and government. III The schools, society and the individual. IV The schools and the papacy. 5 The Men and their Rewards. I Scholars of the world. II Ancients and Moderns. III The new age. IV The glory and gossip of the schools. 6 The Scholastic Metropolis of Northern Europe. I Old institutions: new needs. II Stages in the triumph of Paris. III Conclusion. IV Appendix – A schedule of Parisian masters. PART TWO – TURNING DOCTRINE INTO LAW. 7 The Outlook in Northern Europe. I Truth and truth-enforcement. II Law and society in northern Europe. III Summits of northern European legal scholarship, c. 1050–1120. IV Federalism v. centralization. 8 The Outlook in Northern Italy. I Cultural potentialities and limitations. II Irnerius and the menace of Roman law. 9 The Integration of Doctrine and Law: Gratian. I Demand and response. II The man and his work. III The originality of his work. IV Method of work and date of compilation. V Gratian’s change of mind about Roman law. VI The personality behind the work. VII Did Gratian teach canon law? VIII The first masterpiece of scholastic humanism. IX Time and Place reviewed. Index.

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Book SynopsisThis is the second of the three volumes comprising, Scholastic Humanism and the Unification of Europe. Focussing on the period from c.1090-1212, the volume explores the lives, scholarly resources, and contributions of a wide sample of people who either took part in the creation of the scholastic system of thought or gave practical effect to it in public life. The second volume of a compelling, original work which will redefine our perceptions of medieval civilization, the renaissance and the evolution of modern Europe. Written by a man who was widely regarded as the greatest medieval historian. Trade Review"This book is to be recommended to students and scholars alike.' Times Literary Supplement 'The whole oeuvre is remarkable for two things: its ability to bring the reader into a sense of intimate encounter with these old friends of Southern himself; and the undiminished freshness of the writing. As always with Southern, the newness comes from the insights rather than from the discoveries; yet, as always there are discoveries, especially where a controversial point has to be argued. Such points are pressed with the characteristic vigour, and even if not all fellow-scholars will agree with the conclusions none will come away with his previous ideas in quite the same order ... In every part of the text the quite peculiar charm of the twelfth century is allowed to be distinctively itself.' Journal of Theological Studies 'We can be grateful to Lesley Smith and Benedict Ward for their efforts to bring us this volume, a gift from the master of the modern masters.' Journal of Religion "R.W. Southern has been worth spending time with, his own humanism, wisdom, and insight always evident, always enlightening." Paul Edward DuttonTable of ContentsPreface. Abbreviations and short titles. PART THREE – THE STRUGGLES OF SCHOLARS IN THE SCHOOLS. Introduction. 1 Rupert of Deutz: A Voice of the Past. I The Two Worlds in Western Europe. II Rupert’s Life, Work, and World. III Rupert’s Conflicts with the Schools. IV The Final Grandeur of Events. V Ceremonies and Symbols versus Definitions and System. 2 Master Anselm of Laon: The Master of Future Masters. I The Grounds of His Scholastic Fame. II The Master, the City, and the School. III The Development of His Teaching. IV Master Anselm’s Contribution to the Study of the Bible: The Origin of the Glossa Ordinaria. V The Completion of the Glossa by Master Anselm’s Successors. 3 Master Anselm and the Origins of Systematic Theology. I The Scholastic Routine: From Glosses to sententiae. II A Student’s Collection of sententiae. III Master Anselm’s Questions and Answers. IV The Bridge Between the Monastic Past. and the Scholastic Future. V Summing Up. 4 Stumbling Towards System, c. 1100–1160. I From sentences to System. II Early Collections of sententiae. III The Years Between 1130 and 1160. 5 Hugh of St. Victor: A Systematic Genius Before His Time. I His Origin and Scholarly Beginnings. II Towards a Systematic World-View. III Master Hugh in His Classroom. IV Hugh’s Projected Lectures on God in Human History. V Hugh’s Ambiguous Position in Scholastic Development. 6 Scholars at the Frontiers of Knowledge: William of Conches and Thierry of Chartres. I William of Conches. II Thierry of Chartres. III Conclusion. 7 Abelard at the Frontier of Logic and Theology. I Introduction. II Abelard’s New Beginning. III Logic and the Holy Trinity. IV An Unexpected Source of Opposition (Walter of Mortagne). V The Enlargement of Theology. 8 The Decisive Battles of the 1140s. I The Road to Conflict. II The First. Battle: St. Bernard and Abelard. III The Background to the First. Battle: William of St. Thierry and St. Bernard. IV The Second Battle: St. Bernard and Gilbert De La Porrée. V The Significance of 1148. 9 Peter Lombard: the Great Achiever. I Introduction. II The Continuing Problem of Organization. III Peter Lombard Comes to Paris. IV Peter Lombard’s Patron: Odo (Or Otto), Bishop of Lucca. V Peter Lombard’s Career and Work in Paris, c. 1138-1160. VI A Comparison Between His Work and That of Bishop Odo of Lucca. VII Summing-Up. PART FOUR – THE STRUGGLE OF THE SCHOLARS IN THE WORLD. Introduction. 10 Master Vacarius: A Roman Lawyer in English Government, c. 1145 to c. 1200. I The Legend and the Reality. II Why, and When, Did Archbishop Theobald Bring Vacarius to England? III The Liber pauperum. IV Vacarius in the Archiepiscopal Province of York. V Vacarius’ Later Writings. 11 John of Salisbury: A Scholar at Large in Government. I The End of His School-Years. II His Transference to the World of Government. 12 The Two Peters of Blois in the Schools and in Government. I Introduction. II Their Relationship and Personalities. III The Two Peters of Blois in the Schools, c. 1140–1165. IV The Younger Peter’s Search for Employment, 1165–1174. V Stability then Uncertainty for the Younger Peter. VI Peter and the Third Crusade. VII Peter in the Service of Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1184–1190. VIII Peter and the Call for a Crusade. IX Peter Writes a Last Letter to His Namesake. X The Two Peters of Blois as Poets. XI The Letters and the World of Peter’s Old Age. XII Epilogue: The Letter-Collection Marches On. Index.

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Book Synopsisaeo A compelling, original book which will redefine our perceptions of medieval civilization -- and of the renaissance and the evolution of modern Europe. aeo Possibly the best book by a man who is widely regarded as the greatest medieval historian.Trade Review"Here the 'practical, intellectual and spiritual aspects' of twelfth-century history are discussed by a historian whose knowledge of the period and mastery of the art of writing are almost without equal." History Today "The combination of synthesis with fresh and vivid work on detail is one of Southern's particular gifts ...The proportions of the book will fit harmoniously into the overarching structure outlined at the start of the book, but this volume can also stand just as well on its own - already a classic." Reviews in History "The recovery of scholasticism therefore calls for two qualities: technical expertise, and lucidity of thought and expression. No historian combines these qualities more conspicuously than R.W. Southern." Times Literary Supplement "This book is more than a synthesis of a life's work on twelfth-century Western culture by Britain's greatest medievalist - it is the most important book in recent decades on the twelfth-century renaissance and its significance. This is a book to be treasured and reflected upon for years to come." Norman F. Cantor, New York University "That such a sweeping vision is expressed so lucidly, while simultaneously conveying the human details and experience of the period with a combination of sensitivity and scholarly rigour, justifies the description by its first reviewers: 'masterpiece.'" Journal of Ecclesiastical HistoryTable of ContentsPreface. List of Maps and Plates. Abbreviations and Short Titles. Two Preliminary Maps. Introduction. PART ONE – AIMS, METHODS, AND ENVIRONMENT. 1 Scholastic Humanism. I Contrasting types of humanism. II Characteristic features of scholastic humanism. III The problem of the natural sciences. IV Summits of success. V The regulation of social life. VI The loss of hope. 2 Chartrian Humanism: A Romantic Misconception. I Introduction. II Humanism and the School of Chartres. III Replies to critics. 3 The Sovereign Textbook of the Schools: The Bible. I The qualities of the Bible in scholastic thought. II Methods of investigation. III Bringing the message of the schools to the world. 4 Social and Political Roots of Scholastic Thought. I Pre-scholastic and scholastic Europe. II The new symbiosis of schools and government. III The schools, society and the individual. IV The schools and the papacy. 5 The Men and Their Rewards. I Scholars of the world. II Ancients and Moderns. III The new age. IV The glory and gossip of the schools. 6 The Scholastic Metropolis of Northern Europe. I Old institutions: new needs. II Stages in the triumph of Paris. III Conclusion. IV Appendix – A schedule of Parisian masters. PART TWO – TURNING DOCTRINE INTO LAW. 7 The Outlook in Northern Europe. I Truth and truth-enforcement. II Law and society in northern Europe. III Summits of northern European legal scholarship, c. 1050–1120. IV Federalism v. centralization. 8 The Outlook in Northern Italy. I Cultural potentialities and limitations. II Irnerius and the menace of Roman law. 9 The Integration of Doctrine and Law: Gratian. I Demand and response. II The man and his work. III The originality of his work. IV Method of work and date of compilation. V Gratian’s change of mind about Roman law. VI The personality behind the work. VII Did Gratian teach canon law? VIII The first masterpiece of scholastic humanism. IX Time and Place reviewed. Index.

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Book SynopsisThis guide to the most interesting work that has recently appeared on Aquinas reflects the revival of interest in his work. Written by one of the foremost Roman Catholic theologians currently writing in English. Offers a guide to the most interesting work that has recently appeared on Aquinas, reflecting the revival of interest in his work. Brings together in one volume, a range of views that have previously only been accessible through different books, articles, and periodicals. Represents a major revisionist treatment of Thomism and its significance, combining useful exposition with original, creative thinking. Offers students, in one volume, all the material necessary for a rounded understanding of Aquinas. Trade Review"Domenican scholar Kerr (Oxford and Edinburgh) has written one of the most engrossing and informative books on Thomas published in some time."Choice "This country's outstanding philosopher-theologian."Reviews in Religion and Theology of Fergus Kerr "Fergus Kerr presents us with some few decades of reflection on Aquinas, canvassing much of contemporary commentary in the process. The choice of topics represents a sounding that will offer at once the flavor and a sense of the rigorous dedication to inquiry which Aquinas represents. A thoroughly contemporary presentation of the nuances of this masterful thinker by an apprentice now master himself."Professor David Burrell, University of Notre Dame "Fergus Kerr OP demonstrates in this book how St. Thomas Aquinas is still at the heart of things, synthesising and refining philosophical and theological speech, and even where we do not see his influence, we still feel it. There is no-one better to introduce and explain the breadth and diversity of the study of Aquinas. After Aquinas: Versions of Thomism speaks with a strong and fluent voice: it is in short a tour de force. It ought to be on every theologian's bookshelf, and on every undergraduate reading list in Systematic Theology in Britain and America."Laurence Paul Hemming, Heythrop College, University of London "Kerr's analysis presents fresh insight into Aquinas' thought and the scholarship that has grown up around it, from Cajetan and Suarez to John Milbank and Eugene Rogers. It will be a valuable resource for all those new to Thomas as well as for those interested in exploring his thought in greater depth."First Things "[Kerr's] book is fun, and a rewarding one to read."Church Times "...provides a very useful service to those interested in the reception, in modern theology, of one of the greatest and most influential of all Christian theologians."Times Literary Supplement "This represents a crucial step in moving contemporary Thomism forward; for it is only once we stop teaching, naively, nothing but our own limited interpretations of Thomas's thought, instead attempting to present a more synthetic account, that we will enable our students to appreciate the complexity not only of Thomism, but indeed of Thomas himself."Tijdschrift voor Filosofie "There is often an illuminating sense of the anachronism of a modern view, the failure of an author to understand what Aquinas was concerned about or the reasons for his putting a point in a particular way."Theology "(I)t reviews competing interpretations of Aquinas's theology in an undogmatic, fair-minded, and perspicuous manner; not only beginning theology students but also specialists will learn much from such an approach." The Thomist "Fergus Kerr...has presented his readers with another theological tour de force, and again written with crystal clarity and accessibility."Regent's Reviews "Kerr is astonishingly well read, and, if you want to learn something about how differently Aquinas has been understood on a wide range of issues, After Aquinas is an excellent place to start. Indeed, there is nothing in print to compare with it."Theology Today "Aquinas is a boom subject and Fr Kerr uses decades of stuy to put him in perspective; but he has not lost the refreshing enthusiasm that he felt in his youth for the ontology of the brilliant old thinker."Spectator "... by focusing on the relationship between Thomas's thought and aome of the distinctive issues of modern theology, he is able to both correct widespread misreadings of Thomas, and to show the ongoing power and ecumenical relevance of his theology."Churchman "The beginner will imbide not just real knowledge of Aquinas from this book, but a vibrant Catholic and Dominican culture. The more advanced reader will find dazzling insight upon which to ponder, as well as intriguing pointers to a richer future synthesis.Catherine Pickstock, Emmanuel College Cambridge "After Aquinas is an invaluable resource for evaluating the rival ways that Aquinas has been used in recent scholarship."Scottish Journal of TheologyTable of ContentsPreface vi 1 Life and Times 1 2 Overcoming Epistemology 17 3 Prolegomena to Natural Theology 35 4 Ways of Reading the Five Ways 52 5 Stories of Being 73 6 Natural Law: Incommensurable Readings 97 7 Theological Ethics 114 8 Quarrels about Grace 134 9 Deified Creaturehood 149 10 Christ in the Summa Theologiae 162 11 God in the Summa Theologiae 181 12 Conclusion 207 Notes 211 Select Bibliography 244 Index 248

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Book SynopsisIntroduces readers to medieval life through the experience of Peter Abelard, the master of the Paris schools, whose career included, seducing Heloise, being castrated, accused of treason, condemned as a heretic, as well as writing his memoirs - his story of calamities.Trade Review"This is one of the best books on medieval culture I have ever read, and I was so delighted by it I was sorry to get to the end and to have to put it down." Norman F. Cantor, New York University "A great book, 'unique' like its hero" Jaques Le Goff, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Science Sociales "A crowning achievement of writing medieval history in our generation." John W. Baldwin, John Hopkins University "Michael Clanchy's book will rank for some time as the best scholarly biography of Abelard. It is a compelling and convincing account that draws together the many disparate facets of the life of one of the most energetic minds and personalities of the twelfth century, or indeed of the Middle Ages." Times Literary Supplement "It takes a touch of genius to bring a twelfth-century intellectual to life in this way." The English Historical Review "The new biography by Michael Clanchy ... [is now] the standard historical study of Abelard's life. It is a work of great energy and insight ... It also provides analyses based on a thorough knowledge of Abelard and Abelard studies, that are as stimulating as they are provocative." The Medieval Review, August 1999 "Here is a fresh and central reconstruction of Abelard as a person, based on the research and text editions of previous decades, that puts him at the very center of medieval life and culture and thus makes him relevant for our own times." Revue d'histoire ecclesiastique "This marvelous book about one of the most controversial and interesting of twelfth-century men deserves the warmest welcome...It will surely establish itself and maintain a place for many years, as an accessible and balanced assessment of Abelard ..." Reviews in History "This book is much more than a life of Abelard: it is also an excellent survey of the twelfth century, which, while remaining faithful to the highest standards of scholarship, reads much like a good novel. This is a rare case indeed: a book with much to offer to specialists and beginners, which can also be recommended to historians and theologians alike." Theological Studies "This is one of the half-dozen best books ever written about the European Middle Ages. M.T. Clanchy integrates ecclesiastical, cultural, and social history, and the biography of a great mind and academic with depth of learning, subtlety of insight, and skillful and at times elegant writing that are rarely seen among medievalists ... My only regret is that I came to the end of it too quickly. I would gladly have remained immersed in Abelard and Heloise and their world for another two or three hundred pages ... Clanchy's Aberlard will stay with you and haunt your sensibility and imagination." American Historical Review "Clanchy has performed a valuable service in bringing together often difficult and specialised scholarship into accessible form for the general reader." Journal of Religious HistoryTable of ContentsPreface. Map of France in Abelard's Time. Map of Paris in Abelard's Time. 1. The Story of Abelard. Part I: Scientia - 'Knowledge': Chronological Table 1079-1117. 2. Scientia - 'Knowledge'. 3. Literate. 4. Master. 5. Logician. Part II: Experimentum - 'Experience': Chronological Table 1117-1118. 6. Experimentum - 'Experience'. 7. Knight. 8. Lover. 9. Man. Part III: Religio - 'Religion': Chronological Table 1118-1142. 10. Religio - 'Religion'. 11. Monk. 12. Theologian. 13. Heretic. Conclusion. 14. Himself. Who's Who. Abbreviations used in the Notes to Chapters. Notes to Chapters. Suggestions for Further Reading. Index.

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Book SynopsisThis is the second of the three volumes comprising, Scholastic Humanism and the Unification of Europe. Focussing on the period from c.1090-1212, the volume explores the lives, scholarly resources, and contributions of a wide sample of people who either took part in the creation of the scholastic system of thought or gave practical effect to it in public life. The second volume of a compelling, original work which will redefine our perceptions of medieval civilization, the renaissance and the evolution of modern Europe. Written by a man who was widely regarded as the greatest medieval historian. Trade Review"This book is to be recommended to students and scholars alike.' Times Literary Supplement 'The whole oeuvre is remarkable for two things: its ability to bring the reader into a sense of intimate encounter with these old friends of Southern himself; and the undiminished freshness of the writing. As always with Southern, the newness comes from the insights rather than from the discoveries; yet, as always there are discoveries, especially where a controversial point has to be argued. Such points are pressed with the characteristic vigour, and even if not all fellow-scholars will agree with the conclusions none will come away with his previous ideas in quite the same order ... In every part of the text the quite peculiar charm of the twelfth century is allowed to be distinctively itself.' Journal of Theological Studies 'We can be grateful to Lesley Smith and Benedict Ward for their efforts to bring us this volume, a gift from the master of the modern masters.' Journal of Religion "R.W. Southern has been worth spending time with, his own humanism, wisdom, and insight always evident, always enlightening." Paul Edward DuttonTable of ContentsPreface. Abbreviations and short titles. PART THREE – THE STRUGGLES OF SCHOLARS IN THE SCHOOLS. Introduction. 1 Rupert of Deutz: A Voice of the Past. I The Two Worlds in Western Europe. II Rupert’s Life, Work, and World. III Rupert’s Conflicts with the Schools. IV The Final Grandeur of Events. V Ceremonies and Symbols versus Definitions and System. 2 Master Anselm of Laon: The Master of Future Masters. I The Grounds of His Scholastic Fame. II The Master, the City, and the School. III The Development of His Teaching. IV Master Anselm’s Contribution to the Study of the Bible: The Origin of the Glossa Ordinaria. V The Completion of the Glossa by Master Anselm’s Successors. 3 Master Anselm and the Origins of Systematic Theology. I The Scholastic Routine: From Glosses to sententiae. II A Student’s Collection of sententiae. III Master Anselm’s Questions and Answers. IV The Bridge Between the Monastic Past. and the Scholastic Future. V Summing Up. 4 Stumbling Towards System, c. 1100–1160. I From sentences to System. II Early Collections of sententiae. III The Years Between 1130 and 1160. 5 Hugh of St. Victor: A Systematic Genius Before His Time. I His Origin and Scholarly Beginnings. II Towards a Systematic World-View. III Master Hugh in His Classroom. IV Hugh’s Projected Lectures on God in Human History. V Hugh’s Ambiguous Position in Scholastic Development. 6 Scholars at the Frontiers of Knowledge: William of Conches and Thierry of Chartres. I William of Conches. II Thierry of Chartres. III Conclusion. 7 Abelard at the Frontier of Logic and Theology. I Introduction. II Abelard’s New Beginning. III Logic and the Holy Trinity. IV An Unexpected Source of Opposition (Walter of Mortagne). V The Enlargement of Theology. 8 The Decisive Battles of the 1140s. I The Road to Conflict. II The First. Battle: St. Bernard and Abelard. III The Background to the First. Battle: William of St. Thierry and St. Bernard. IV The Second Battle: St. Bernard and Gilbert De La Porrée. V The Significance of 1148. 9 Peter Lombard: the Great Achiever. I Introduction. II The Continuing Problem of Organization. III Peter Lombard Comes to Paris. IV Peter Lombard’s Patron: Odo (Or Otto), Bishop of Lucca. V Peter Lombard’s Career and Work in Paris, c. 1138-1160. VI A Comparison Between His Work and That of Bishop Odo of Lucca. VII Summing-Up. PART FOUR – THE STRUGGLE OF THE SCHOLARS IN THE WORLD. Introduction. 10 Master Vacarius: A Roman Lawyer in English Government, c. 1145 to c. 1200. I The Legend and the Reality. II Why, and When, Did Archbishop Theobald Bring Vacarius to England? III The Liber pauperum. IV Vacarius in the Archiepiscopal Province of York. V Vacarius’ Later Writings. 11 John of Salisbury: A Scholar at Large in Government. I The End of His School-Years. II His Transference to the World of Government. 12 The Two Peters of Blois in the Schools and in Government. I Introduction. II Their Relationship and Personalities. III The Two Peters of Blois in the Schools, c. 1140–1165. IV The Younger Peter’s Search for Employment, 1165–1174. V Stability then Uncertainty for the Younger Peter. VI Peter and the Third Crusade. VII Peter in the Service of Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1184–1190. VIII Peter and the Call for a Crusade. IX Peter Writes a Last Letter to His Namesake. X The Two Peters of Blois as Poets. XI The Letters and the World of Peter’s Old Age. XII Epilogue: The Letter-Collection Marches On. Index.

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Book SynopsisPlatonic Theology is the visionary and philosophical masterpiece of Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499), the Florentine scholar-philosopher-magus largely responsible for the Renaissance revival of Plato. This work, translated into English for the first time, is a key to understanding the art, thought, culture, and spirituality of the Renaissance.Trade ReviewBy providing an accurate text and a readable translation in an elegant yet affordable format, this volume will benefit both scholars and students, who might not be familiar with Ficino’s sometimes difficult and elliptical Latin. It will interest not only those who are working on Ficino and Italian humanism but also anyone who is concerned with the history of Platonism and Neoplatonism. No doubt this edition will stimulate further studies on Ficino’s Platonic Theology, which will in turn enlighten significant aspects of Ficino’s thought, identify new sources and provide a comprehensive exegesis of this fundamental text. -- Maude Vanhaelen * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *It is a pleasure to record the four latest appearances in The I Tatti Renaissance Library, which has quickly established itself as a major new publication outlet for Neo-Latin literature that, unlike most new series, is putting out volumes more quickly than was originally projected. It is appropriate now, I believe, to single out the work of the General Editor, James Hankins, whose inexhaustible appetite for plain old hard work is the driving force behind the success of the series. [Harvard University Press] is certainly to be commended for committing resources to an area whose commercial success was not a given, but I know from my own experience that Hankins not only manages the timely appearance of the volumes, but oversees details to a degree that far exceeds normal editing. Bravo! -- Craig Kallendorf * Neo-Latin News *Ficino set out to show that the ancient Neoplatonic philosophy embodied a "gentile theological tradition," one that complemented the Mosaic revelation to the Jews and prepared its devotees for the final truths of Christianity. Ficino worked in full knowledge of the internal complications of Neoplatonism. He wrote and argued in styles that ranged from the logical and synthetic to the poetic and evocative, as he struggled to find ways to prove that the universe was orderly and governed by a Creator and to lay out the place within it of the immortal human soul. -- Anthony T. Grafton * New York Review of Books *Though academicians have already produced a mass of material on Renaissance painting, sculpture, music, politics, and culture, modern scholarship has only recently begun to recuperate the underlying philosophy of these humanist phenomena. Allen and Hankins, with the help of Bowen, have made a valuable contribution to that scholarship. -- Daniel B. Gallagher * Classical Bulletin *

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Book SynopsisPlatonic Theology is the visionary and philosophical masterpiece of Marsilio Ficino (14331499), the Florentine scholar-philosopher-magus largely responsible for the Renaissance revival of Plato. This work, translated into English for the first time, is a key to understanding the art, thought, culture, and spirituality of the Renaissance.Trade ReviewFicino set out to show that the ancient Neoplatonic philosophy embodied a "gentile theological tradition," one that complemented the Mosaic revelation to the Jews and prepared its devotees for the final truths of Christianity. Ficino worked in full knowledge of the internal complications of Neoplatonism. He wrote and argued in styles that ranged from the logical and synthetic to the poetic and evocative, as he struggled to find ways to prove that the universe was orderly and governed by a Creator and to lay out the place within it of the immortal human soul. -- Anthony T. Grafton * New York Review of Books *As in previous volumes, Allen has rendered an elegant translation of an often daunting neo-Latin text. -- Daniel Galagher * Classical Bulletin *The English translation of volume 5 seems to have captured the sense of the Latin well...Although Neoplatonic philosophy will never be easy reading, this translation and the accompanying Latin text should be helpful to any student of Florentine Neoplatonism. -- Charles G. Nauert * Sixteenth Century Journal *

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Book SynopsisChallenges the entrenched understandings of Machiavelli, arguing that he was a moral and political philosopher who consistently favored the rule of law over that of men, that he had a coherent theory of justice, and that he did not defend the 'Machiavellian' maxim that the ends justify the means.Trade Review"Taking a cue from Rousseau, who read Machiavelli as a serious republican thinker, Benner argues that Machiavelli did not at all separate ethics from politics... Benner's interest in Machiavelli's rhetorical strategies produces gratifyingly detailed and impressive readings of difficult passages... This is a provocative argument for Machiavelli as a proponent of moral autonomy and ethical reflectiveness."--Victoria Kahn, Times Literary Supplement "This major new study of Machiavelli's moral and political philosophy by Benner argues that most readings of Machiavelli suffer from a failure to appreciate his debt to Greek sources, particularly the Socratic tradition of moral and political philosophy... Her research is meticulous and her arguments finely honed. This important contribution to both Machiavelli studies and the history of political philosophy will be indispensable for scholars."--Choice "This book is a prime example of thorough and detailed scholarship... With the publication of this bold but responsible contribution to scholarship, those who assert that Machiavelli was not an ethical philosopher have a significant amount of evidence and argumentation to overcome."--David F. Horkott, International Philosophical Quarterly "[Benner's] reading yields an innovative and stimulating interpretation of a notoriously difficult (even slippery) author that is meant to reveal his distinctive contribution to philosophical concerns. Benner's insights are often surprising and challenging, but are definitely worthy of careful consideration... Her book gives us very good reasons for thinking that Machiavelli may have adopted the kind of ethical individualism that she ascribes to him."--Cary J. Nederman, Notre Dame Philosophical Review "[A] book that swims against the current, one that orients its perspective backwards, towards antiquity. A refreshing catharsis now that I am stepping out from the flood of current events. Benner puts forward the thesis that Machiavelli was no Machiavellian in his values [but] a moral philosopher with high republican ideals, a critical humanist... Least in tune with our age are the great demands that, following in the footsteps of Machiavelli and the classics of antiquity, Benner makes on readers [to] train themselves in the art of seeing through all manner of manipulations. A call to break through the cobwebs of propaganda that the powerful try to run around citizens, especially in election years."--Rolf Gustavsson, Svenska Dagbladet "Machiavelli's Ethics is a remarkable account of the dominant themes in Machiavelli's work and his role as a moral and political philosopher unusually sensitive to reality. It should be read by all who are interested in philosophy, politics, rhetoric, and the history of Western thought. Books of such perceptive insight and scholarly care arrive infrequently."--Michael K. Potter, Philosophy in ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xiii Abbreviations xv Introduction 1 Arguments: Philosophical ethics and the rule of law 5 Sources: Greek ethics 8 Part I: Contexts Chapter 1: Civil Reasonings: Machiavelli's Practical Filosofia 15 1.1. Florentine Histories: Decent words, indecent deeds 16 1.2. Flawed remedies: Rhetoric and power politics 25 1.3. Flawed analyses: Self-celebratory versus self-critical histories 30 1.4. Philosophy and the vita activa in Florentine humanism 37 1.5. What is, has been, and can reasonably be: Machiavelli's correspondence 43 1.6. The Socratic tradition of philosophical politics 49 1.7. Forming republics in writing and in practice: The Discursus 54 Chapter 2: Ancient Sources: Dissimulation in Greek Ethics 63 2.1. Constructive dissimulation: Writing as civil "medicine" 64 2.2. Inoculation for citizens: Words and deeds in Xenophon's Cyropaedia 71 2.3. Conversations with rulers: Plutarch and Xenophon on purging tyranny 78 2.4. Dissimulating about deception: Xenophon's Cambyses 84 2.5. Dissimulating about justice: Thucydides' Diodotus 88 Part II: Foundations Chapter 3: Imitation and Knowledge 101 3.1. The ancient tradition of imitating ancients 101 3.2. Inadequate imitation: The "unreasonable praise of antiquity" 107 3.3. Historical judgment: Criticism of sources and self-examination 111 3.4. The Socratic metaphor of hunting 116 3.5. Ethical judgment: The "true knowledge of histories" 124 3.6. Machiavelli's dangerous new reasonings 132 Chapter 4: N ecessity and Virtue 135 4.1. The rhetoric of necessity 136 4.2. Necessita as an excuse 140 4.3. Necessita as a pretext 142 4.4. Imposing and removing necessita 147 4.5. Virtu as reflective prudence: Taking stock of ordinary constraints 150 4.6. Under- and overassertive responses to necessity 153 4.7. Virtu as self-responsibility: Authorizing constraints on one's own forces 156 4.8. Virtu as autonomy: Imposing one's own orders and laws 161 4.9. Necessita and fortuna 166 Chapter 5: Human Nature and Human Orders 169 5.1. Fortune and free will 170 5.2. How to manage fortuna: Impetuosity and respetto 175 5.3. Practical theology: Heavenly judgments and human reasons 180 5.4. Practical prophecies: Foreseeing the future by "natural virtues" 184 5.5. Moral psychology: The malignita of human nature and the discipline of virtu 190 5.6. Human zoology: The ways of men and beasts 197 5.7. Human cities, where modes are neither delicate nor too harsh 201 5.8. Who is responsible for the laws? Human reasoning and civilita 206 Part III: Principles Chapter 6: Free Agency and Desires for Freedom 213 6.1. The Discourses on desires for freedom in and among cities 214 6.2. The Florentine Histories on freedom and the need for self-restraint 221 6.3. Are desires for freedom universal? 226 6.4. Inadequate conceptions of freedom 231 6.5. The rhetoric of liberta in republics 239 6.6. Free will and free agency 244 Chapter 7: Free Orders 254 7.1. Priorities I: Respect for free agency as a condition for stable orders 255 7.2. Priorities II: Willing authorization as the foundation of free orders 259 7.3. Conditions I: Universal security 262 7.4. Conditions II: Transparency and publicity 266 7.5. Conditions III: Equal opportunity 269 7.6. Foundations of political freedom: Procedural constraints and the rule of law 279 7.7. Persuasions: Why should people choose free orders? 287 Chapter 8: Justice and Injustice 290 8.1. Justice as the basis of order and liberta 291 8.2. Partisan accounts of justice 299 8.3. Non-partisan persuasions toward justice 306 8.4. Why it is dangerous to violate the law of nations 309 8.5. Forms of justice: Promises, punishments, and distributions 314 8.6. Ignorance of justice: Who is responsible for upholding just orders? 320 Chapter 9: Ends and Means 325 9.1. Responsibility for bad outcomes: The dangers of giving counsel 326 9.2. Judging wars by post facto outcomes 331 9.3. Judging wars by anticipated outcomes 335 9.4. Reflective consequentialism or deontology? 340 9.5. Problem 1: Unjust means corrupt good ends 343 9.6. Problem 2: Who can be trusted to foresee effects? 347 9.7. Problem 3: Who can be trusted to identify good ends? 351 9.8. Problem 4: Corrupting examples 357 9.9. Corrupt judgments: Means and ends in the Prince 360 Part IV: Politics Chapter 10: Ordinary and Extraordinary Authority 367 10.1. The antithesis between ordinary and extraordinary modes 367 10.2. Are conspiracies ever justified? 373 10.3. Extraordinary and ordinary ways to renovate corrupt cities 380 10.4. Unreasonable uses of religion: Easy ways to acquire authority 386 10.5. Reasonable uses of religion: Fear of God and fear of human justice 394 10.6. Folk religion and civil reasoning 400 Chapter 11: Legislators and Princes 407 11.1. Spartan founders and refounders: Lycurgus, Agis, and Cleomenes 408 11.2. Roman founders and legislators: Romulus and Aeneas 418 11.3. God's executors and modes of free building: Moses 424 11.4. Ordinary mortals and the ancient ideal of the one-man legislator 432 11.5. Persuasion in the Prince: On maintaining one's own arms 437 11.6. Princely knowledge and the "knowledge of peoples" 447 Chapter 12: E xpansion and Empire 451 12.1. Why republics must expand: The defects of non-expansionist republics 451 12.2. Three modes: Equal partnership, subjection to one, and the Roman mode 454 12.3. The Roman "middle way": Making subjects or partners 458 12.4. Bad Roman modes, good Roman orders: The choice between extremes 464 12.5. Why Roman imperio became pernicious: The wars with Carthage 468 12.6. Expansion by partnership: The forgotten Tuscan league 475 12.7. Should Florence imitate Rome? 478 Conclusions 484 This interpretation and others 490 Machiavelli and the ethical foundations of political philosophy 496 Bibliography 499 Index 509

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of the 2013 National Jewish Book Award in Scholarship, Jewish Book Council Honorable Mention for the 2015 PROSE Award in Theology & Religious Studies, Association of American Publishers One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2014 "In his rigorous and insightful study Maimonides: Life and Thought, Moshe Halbertal reintroduces readers to this rabbi-scientist, who insisted that faith should be an enterprise based on reason."--Dara Horn, Wall Street Journal "[M]agisterial... Halbertal presents a moving and detailed portrait of Maimonides's life as well as his work... Maimonides is not just a titan of Jewish learning; as Halbertal shows in his timely and definitive book, he can be a surprisingly contemporary guide for our times."--David Mikics, Forward "[Halbertal] pioneers a new path, walking the reader through the different interpretive schools and explaining what supports each one while acknowledging that Maimonides contradicts himself both across and within his many writings--at times purposefully, which inevitably leaves his readers perplexed. Halbertal is a wonderful guide, explaining how different approaches illuminate Maimonides' writings and how certain issues reverberate throughout the sage's work, returning in new forms and contexts... Drawing on all of Maimonides' writings, and especially his many letters, Halbertal crafts a portrait of a refugee who never fully left home and felt the pain of exile for his entire life... [An] extraordinary book."--Jay M. Harris, Foreign Affairs "In a sea of literature about the great twelfth-century Jewish sage and philosopher, one could do no better than turn to Moshe Halbertal's single volume work on Maimonides... Accessible to both scholar and interested general reader, this book should be the first work on Maimonides for an English reader to approach."--David Tesler, Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews "If you are going to read only one book about Maimonides, make it Moshe Halbertal's stunning Maimonides. Even if you have read many other books by and about Maimonides, you have much to learn here."--Menachem Kellner, AJS Review "Halbertal's book provides an introduction to the complexity of Maimonides's work, and should be studied by any serious Maimonides scholar."--Tamar Rudavsky, Journal of the History of Philosophy "Maimonides, then, remains an elusive and fascinating figure: his importance is clear, but it's hard to grasp exactly what made him so important. That is why Maimonides: Life and Thought, the new study by Moshe Halbertal, is such a valuable contribution... Readers who are curious about this difficult but rewarding thinker will find Maimonides: Life and Thought a thrillingly lucid introduction."--Adam Kirsch, Barnes & Noble Review "Moshe Halbertal's Maimonides is a useful guide to the man and his work, with something to offer both novice and scholar... [T]his admirable work invites us to study Moses Maimonides' writings on our own."--Mark Blitz, Weekly Standard "Halbertal, a professor of both law and Jewish studies, is equipped to grasp the richness of Maimonides's thought, which reflects a potent blend of rabbinic expertise and philosophical acumen... If Halbertal's book accomplishes nothing else but to inspire this Maimonidean approach to life and religion, then he has done his job well."--James A. Diamond, Jerusalem Post "[S]tudying the Andalusian refugee Maimonides will be revealing and this terrific book by the philosopher Moshe Halbertal is a great place to begin."--Richard Marshall, 3ammagazine.com "This insightful, well-written book offers a fresh perspective on Maimonides. Halbertal offers an excellent introductory overview of Maimonides's life and contributions to Jewish law, philosophy, medicine, and religious consciousness. He also makes clear how Mainmonides's personality, psychology, and evolving outlook penetrate his oeuvre... The author offers a window into the self-perception of this greatest of medieval rabbinic thinkers, physicians, legalists, and theologians, and the radical transformations he sought to effect in Judaism."--Choice "[A] valuable and impressive achievement."--Eric Shoag, Jewish Journal "[A] brilliant tour de force."--Lawrence Kaplan, Jewish Review of Books "In this excellent study, Moshe Halbertal makes it clear, in keeping with Maimonides, that there is no one way to understand the Jewish tradition."--Jude P. Dougherty, Mary Elizabeth Tetzlaff "[A]n unusually comprehensive overview of Maimonides achievements."--Berel Dov Lerner, Religion & TheologyTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Chapter One: Moses the Man "Moses of his Generation" 7 Andalusia: 1138-1159 (?) 14 The Maghrib and Persecution: 1159-1166 23 Fustat: 1166-1177 33 Yemen and Islam: 1172 47 In the Sultan's Palace: 1178-1204 56 The Man Moses 74 Chapter Two: The Commentary on the Mishnah, the Book of Commandments, and the Philosophy of halakhah In the Laboratory of the Commentary on the Mishnah 92 The Purpose of the Commentary on the Mishnah 96 Controversy, Truth, and Interpretation 99 The Book of Commandments and the Structure of halakhah 107 On the Place of Revelation 111 Revelation and Interpretation 116 Interpretation in halakhah: Between Explanatory Principles and Deductive Principles 120 Halakhah and Prophecy 126 Chapter Three: Ethics and Belief in the Commentary on the Mishnah Principles of Faith 134 What Is Man: Immortality of the Soul, and the Afterlife 137 Resurrection of the Dead 142 The Ethics of Virtue and the Ethics of Obligation 148 The Sage and the Pietist 154 Nobility and Saintliness 158 Chapter Four: What Is Mishneh Torah? The Aims and Qualities of the Compilation 164 Mishneh Torah and the History of halakhah 168 The Mishnah of Rabbi Judah the Prince and Mishneh Torah 171 The Authority of the Talmud and the Authority of the Geonim 175 Mishneh Torah: The Moderate and Radical Alternatives 181 Mishneh Torah and Jewish Curriculum 184 Ambiguity and Codification 189 Codification and Self-Esteem 194 Chapter Five: Philosophy and halakhah in Mishneh Torah Love and Awe: Philosophy and Religious Experience 197 The Concept of the Divine: Eternal Universe and Creation ex Nihilo 202 Prophecy, Faith, and the Election of Israel 208 Halakhah, Magic, and Idolatry 216 Messianism, halakhah, and Nature 223 Chapter Six: Mishneh Torah and the Conceptual Understanding of halakhah Reorganizing the halakhah: Form and Content 229 "Laws Concerning Mourning" and the Organization of Mishneh Torah 236 Forging Concepts, Distinctions, and Generalizations 243 Mishneh Torah and Talmudic Sources 255 Three Functions of Aggadah in Mishneh Torah 262 Chapter Seven: The Guide of the Perplexed and Its Critique of Religious Language Concealed and Revealed in the Guide of the Perplexed 277 Idolatry and Religious Language 288 "For You, Silence Is Praise" 296 The Skeptical Reading and the Mystical Reading 301 Chapter Eight: The Guide of the Perplexed: Will or Wisdom? The Creation of the World: The Conservative Reading and the Philosophical Reading 313 The Doctrine of Prophecy 321 The Problem of Evil and the Purpose of Existence 329 Providence 335 The Reasons for the Commandments 341 The Commandments and the Philosopher's Spiritual Exercise 349 Conclusion Four Readings 354 Three Common Elements 358 Maimonides' Teachings in Historical Perspective 362 Maimonides' Writings 369 Bibliography 371 Index 381

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""This analysis should be essential to any comprehensive treatment of the Florentine’s thought."---R. Heineman, Choice

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Book SynopsisThomas More remains one of the most enigmatic thinkers in history, due in large part to the enduring mysteries surrounding his best-known work, Utopia. He has been variously thought of as a reformer and a conservative, a civic humanist and a devout Christian, a proto-communist and a monarchical absolutist.Trade Review"For too long, there have been multiple Mores: Thomas More – the 'man for all seasons' – has also seemed to be a man of many faces: More's identities as a statesman, humanist, and saint have seemed riven from each other and bafflingly incompatible. In this brilliant, lucid, and pithy account, Joanne Paul reunites More with himself by identifying the central idea that animated his thought and action. This is an original and illuminating work that should be compulsory for any reader of Utopia."�Suzannah Lipscomb, New College of the Humanities "A well-organized introduction to Thomas More's body of writing, some published only posthumously, which deftly introduces a general university-level reader to his written corpus."�Bethany Wiggin, University of Pennsylvania "Fascinating...Paul shows an impressive mastery of the assorted, disparate aspects of More�s work."� Spiked ReviewTable of ContentsPreface vi Abbreviations ix Key Dates xi Introduction: The Thought of Thomas More 1 1 Early Life, Education and Poetry 15 2 Utopia and ‘Common Things’ 29 3 Richard III and the Stage Play of Politics 60 4 The Common Corps of Christendom 83 5 Influence 116 Conclusion 141 Notes 146 References 158 Recommended Reading 169 Index 174

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Book SynopsisEconomics, in our modern sense of the term, was not a discipline in the Middle Ages, although the history of economic thought is often written as though it were. Lianna Farber restores the core economic concept of trade to its medieval contexts...Trade ReviewFarber demonstrates a firm grasp of the texts and the issues involved, deconstructing the expositions in a deft manner and delving into how the medieval mind construed economic activity. * Economic History Review *Painstakingly alive to the nuances of the texts she describes, Farmer admirably realizes the difficult goal she sets out to attain in her book: to describe accurately how writers understood trade during a time when the category of the 'economic' was nonexistent. This sensible, jargon-free, and evenhanded study makes an impressive contribution both to literary criticism and to the history of ideas. * Studies in the Age of Chaucer *

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Book SynopsisA new edition of the classic anthology of Christian, Muslin, and Jewish political philosophy in the Middle Ages.Trade ReviewThis updated collection is as timely now as it was back then: few students of political theory are sufficiently conversant with the rich medieval tradition of reflection on such problems as 'reason and revelation' or ‘natural and divine law.’... One cannot argue with the enduring relevance of this work for the study of political philosophy. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsGeneral IntroductionPART I: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY IN ISLAM Edited by Joshua ParensIntroduction1. Alfarabi, The Enumeration of the Sciences Charles E. Butterworth, trans.2. Alfarabi, The Book of Religion Charles E. Butterworth, trans.3. Alfarabi, The Political Regime Charles E. Butterworth, trans.4. Alfarabi, The Attainment of Happiness Muhsin Mahdi, trans.5. Alfarabi, Plato's Laws Muhsin Mahdi, trans.6. Avicenna, On the Divisions of the Rational Sciences Muhsin Mahdi, trans.7. Avicenna, Healing: Metaphysics Michael E. Marmura, trans.8. Alghazali, The Deliverer from Error Richard J. McCarthy, SJ, trans.9. Ibn Bajja, The Governance of the Solitary Lawrence Berman, trans.10. Ibn Tufayl, Hayy the Son of Yaqzan George N. Atiyeh, trans.11. Averroes, The Decisive Treatise Charles E. Butterworth, trans.Bibliography and Further ReadingPART II: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY IN JUDAISM Edited by Joshua ParensIntroduction12. Saadya Gaon, The Book of Doctrines and Beliefs Alexander Altmann, trans.13. Judah Halevi, The Book of Refutation and Proof on Behalf of the Despised Religion, or, The Kuzari Barry Kogan and Lawrence Berman, trans.14. Maimonides, Logic Muhsin Mahdi, trans.15. Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed Ralph Lerner, Muhsin Mahdi, and Joshua Parens, trans.16. Maimonides, Eight Chapters Joshua Parens, trans.17. Maimonides, Letter on Astrology Ralph Lerner, trans.18. Isaac Polgar, The Support of Religion Charles H. Manekin, trans.19. Abravanel, Commentary on the Bible Robert Sacks, trans.Bibliography and Further ReadingPART III: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY IN CHRISTIANITY Edited by Joseph C. MacfarlandIntroduction20. Roger Bacon, Opus Maius: Moral Philosophy Richard McKeon, Donald McCarthy, and Ernest L. Fortin, trans.21. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics Charles I. Litzinger, trans.22. Thomas Aquinas and Peter of Auvergne, Commentary on the Politics Ernest L. Fortin, Peter D. O'Neill, and Joseph C. Macfarland, trans.23. Boethius of Dacia, On the Supreme Good John F. Wippel, trans.24. Condemnation of 219 Propositions Ernest L. Fortin and Peter D. O’Neill, trans.25. Giles of Rome, On Ecclesiastical Power R. W. Dyson, trans.26. Ptolemy of Lucca, On the Government of Rulers James M. Blythe, trans.27. Dante Alighieri, Monarchy Philip H. Wicksteed, trans.28. Marsilius of Padua, The Defender of the Peace Alan Gewirth, trans.29. William of Ockham, The Dialogue John Kilcullen, trans.Bibliography and Further ReadingIndex

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Book SynopsisButterworth richly deserves to be congratulated for providing advanced students and scholars with authoritative, reliable, and readable translations of Alfarabi''s important political writings. ? ChoiceAlfarabi (ca. 870–950) founded the great tradition of Aristotelian/Platonic political philosophy in medieval Islamic and Arabic culture. In this second volume of political writings, Charles E. Butterworth presents translations of Alfarabi''s Political Regime and Summary of Plato''s Laws, accompanied by introductions that discuss the background for each work and explore its teaching.In addition, the texts are carefully annotated to aid the reader in following Alfarabi''s argument. An Arabic-English/English-Arabic glossary allows interested readers to verify the way particular words are translated. Throughout, Butterworth''s method is to translate consistently the same Arabic word by the same English word, rendering Alfarabi''s style Trade ReviewAccurate and very readable.... [Butterworth] was a student of Muhsin Mahdi, the leading scholar of Alfarabi of our time (and perhaps of all time), whose many editions, translations, and studies of Alfarabi's writings have enriched our understanding of this most influential philosopher. Butterworth is Mahdi's intellectual heir.... We are much indebted to Butterworth, who has undertaken this mission with admirable responsibility. * Speculum *Butterworth brilliantly combines in one volume the theoretical agenda of the Political Regime and the practical concerns of the Summary. This volume is an excellent contribution to Alfarabi scholarship and should be most welcome to anyone interested in Islamic philosophy. * The Review of Politics *Butterworth here offers... a commendable, skilled rendition of the Summary of Plato's Laws. * Journal of the History of Philosophy *Butterworth richly deserves to be congratulated for providing advanced students and scholars with authoritative, reliable, and readable translations of Alfarabi's important political writings. * Choice *Butterworth's splendid introduction to the first of these two texts provides the best introduction to Alfarabi's metaphysics that one is likely to find. In briefly sketching the life of Alfarabi, he also draws attention to the often forgotten major centers of learning in the ancient world. * The Review of Metaphysics *The translation on the whole is clear and very readable.... Readers with neither knowledge of Arabic nor familiarity with al-Farabi's writings will find the text easy to understand and follow, and the book will be useful for students. * Journal of Islamic Studies *Table of ContentsPrefacePolitical RegimeIntroductionThe TextSummary of Plato's LawsIntroductionThe TextAppendix A: Alfarabi, Enumeration of the SciencesAppendix B: Averroes's Defense of the Philosophers as Believing in Happiness and Misery in the HereafterGlossary A: Arabic–EnglishGlossary B: English–ArabicBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIn this updated edition of his classic work, Lenn E. Goodman provides a concise introduction to the life and thought of Abu Ali al-Husain ibn Abdallah ibn Sina, known as Avicenna, who was born in the year 980 C.E. near Bokhara in what is now...Trade ReviewAnyone who is at all familiar with the writings of the medieval Islamic philosopher Avicenna recognizes him as a philosophically penetrating and original thinker who deserves a place alongside the more familiar major figures in the history of Western philosophy.... This book presents the reader with an overview of the principal tenets of Avicenna's philosophy that both sets them in their own historical context within medieval Islam and brings them to bear on perennial themes in the history of western philosophy. * Journal of the History of Philosophy *

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Book SynopsisA new edition of the classic anthology of Christian, Muslin, and Jewish political philosophy in the Middle Ages.Trade ReviewThis updated collection is as timely now as it was back then: few students of political theory are sufficiently conversant with the rich medieval tradition of reflection on such problems as 'reason and revelation' or ‘natural and divine law.’... One cannot argue with the enduring relevance of this work for the study of political philosophy. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsGeneral IntroductionPART I: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY IN ISLAM Edited by Joshua ParensIntroduction1. Alfarabi, The Enumeration of the Sciences Charles E. Butterworth, trans.2. Alfarabi, The Book of Religion Charles E. Butterworth, trans.3. Alfarabi, The Political Regime Charles E. Butterworth, trans.4. Alfarabi, The Attainment of Happiness Muhsin Mahdi, trans.5. Alfarabi, Plato's Laws Muhsin Mahdi, trans.6. Avicenna, On the Divisions of the Rational Sciences Muhsin Mahdi, trans.7. Avicenna, Healing: Metaphysics Michael E. Marmura, trans.8. Alghazali, The Deliverer from Error Richard J. McCarthy, SJ, trans.9. Ibn Bajja, The Governance of the Solitary Lawrence Berman, trans.10. Ibn Tufayl, Hayy the Son of Yaqzan George N. Atiyeh, trans.11. Averroes, The Decisive Treatise Charles E. Butterworth, trans.Bibliography and Further ReadingPART II: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY IN JUDAISM Edited by Joshua ParensIntroduction12. Saadya Gaon, The Book of Doctrines and Beliefs Alexander Altmann, trans.13. Judah Halevi, The Book of Refutation and Proof on Behalf of the Despised Religion, or, The Kuzari Barry Kogan and Lawrence Berman, trans.14. Maimonides, Logic Muhsin Mahdi, trans.15. Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed Ralph Lerner, Muhsin Mahdi, and Joshua Parens, trans.16. Maimonides, Eight Chapters Joshua Parens, trans.17. Maimonides, Letter on Astrology Ralph Lerner, trans.18. Isaac Polgar, The Support of Religion Charles H. Manekin, trans.19. Abravanel, Commentary on the Bible Robert Sacks, trans.Bibliography and Further ReadingPART III: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY IN CHRISTIANITY Edited by Joseph C. MacfarlandIntroduction20. Roger Bacon, Opus Maius: Moral Philosophy Richard McKeon, Donald McCarthy, and Ernest L. Fortin, trans.21. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics Charles I. Litzinger, trans.22. Thomas Aquinas and Peter of Auvergne, Commentary on the Politics Ernest L. Fortin, Peter D. O'Neill, and Joseph C. Macfarland, trans.23. Boethius of Dacia, On the Supreme Good John F. Wippel, trans.24. Condemnation of 219 Propositions Ernest L. Fortin and Peter D. O’Neill, trans.25. Giles of Rome, On Ecclesiastical Power R. W. Dyson, trans.26. Ptolemy of Lucca, On the Government of Rulers James M. Blythe, trans.27. Dante Alighieri, Monarchy Philip H. Wicksteed, trans.28. Marsilius of Padua, The Defender of the Peace Alan Gewirth, trans.29. William of Ockham, The Dialogue John Kilcullen, trans.Bibliography and Further ReadingIndex

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Book SynopsisIn Ciceronis Topica and De topicis differentiis are Boethius's two treatises on Topics (loci). Together these two works present Boethius's theory of the art of discovering arguments, a theory...

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