Description
Book SynopsisThis engaging treatment of Aquinas's theory of self-knowledge provides a comprehensive look at a neglected aspect of medieval philosophy, from both a historical and a philosophical perspective. It will be valuable to specialists and advanced students in medieval philosophy, the philosophy of mind and the history of ideas.
Trade Review"… indispensable to any future study of self-knowledge in Aquinas. Its virtues include an exhaustive review of the scholarly literature on self-knowledge, a detailed analysis of each component of Aquinas’s theory, and proposed resolutions to each interpretive problem. [This book] will spark a new debate over the centrality of self-knowledge in Aquinas’s thought." Carl N. Still, Journal of the History of Philosophy
Table of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. Historical and Textual Origins: 1. The development of a medieval debate; 2. The trajectory of Aquinas's theory of self-knowledge, 1252–72; Part II. Phenomena and Problems: 3. Perceiving myself: the content of actual self-awareness; 4. Perceiving myself: is self-awareness an intuitive act?; 5. The significance of self-presence: habitual self-awareness; 6. Implicit vs explicit self-awareness and the duality of conscious thought; 7. Discovering the soul's nature: quidditative self-knowledge; 8. Self-knowledge and psychological personhood; Conclusion.