Minding the Modern

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The book explores the critical separation between reason and will in European thought, stemming from the decline of foundational concepts in classical and medieval Aristotelian philosophy. Thomas Pfau examines the evolution of human agency through key thinkers from antiquity to the eighteenth century, including Aristotle, Augustine, and Coleridge. He argues that modern thought's detachment from its historical roots has led to a fragmented understanding of humanistic inquiry, resulting in a stunted moral self-expression among both intellectuals and the general populace.