Aquinas on Human Action: A Theory of Practice

by Ralph McInerny

A patient and faithful working of primary Thomistic texts, this volume

Genres: Philosophy, Theology

260 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

About the author

Ralph Matthew McInerny was an American Catholic religious scholar and fiction writer, including mysteries and science fiction. Some of his fiction has appeared under the pseudonyms of Harry Austin, Matthew FitzRalph, Ernan Mackey, Edward Mackin, and Monica Quill. As a mystery writer he is best known as the creator of Father Dowling. He was Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Jacques Maritain Center, and Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Notre Dame until his retirement in June 2009. He died of esophageal cancer on January 29, 2010.

Reviews

[Alfredo Nicolás Dueñas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on this matter as far as readability goes. Super clear, engaging, direct, accessible, and as far as I can tell, a pretty balanced view of the nature of action according to Thomas. It seems like the read of interior/exterior acts is also a good reflection of the traditional consensus, so it reflects a good guide for that in respect to medieval and contemporary commentators.

[Ryan Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a bit of a challenging read, but McInery does his best to introduce complex themes in a more manageable way. Part 1 analyses Thomas on human action and is the heart of the book. Part 2 is largely polemical, but helps one to peek into the contemporary scholarly discussion.