Metaphysics between Experience and Transcendence
Thomas Aquinas on Metaphysics as a Science
- 246 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Metaphysics, traditionally defined as the study of being, raises essential questions about its relevance to human experience and its relationship to physics. What does 'being' truly signify, and is it concealed behind our experiences? In defending metaphysics, do we risk becoming detached from reality, as Nietzsche warned? These inquiries are vital for those seeking insights from the Aristotelian tradition, notably defended by Thomas Aquinas. This book provides a philosophical analysis of metaphysics as understood by Aquinas, focusing not merely on his doctrines but on the movement from experiential reality to the divine principle of being. Through a close reading of relevant texts, it clarifies the dynamics of metaphysics in Aquinas's work. The Aristotelian tradition presents metaphysics with an ontotheological orientation, encompassing both the study of being in general and divine being. Contrary to the trend in Thomistic thought that separates metaphysics as ontology from its theological aspects, this book offers a fresh interpretation that underscores the intrinsic unity of metaphysics. It invites readers to reconsider the profound connections between being, experience, and the divine in the context of Aquinas's insights.
