Natural Reason: A Study of the Notions of Inference, Assent, Intuition, and First Principles in the Philosophy of John Henry Cardinal Newman

by Gerard Casey

Natural Reason is an examination of the religious epistemology of Cardinal Newman. Although his epistemology was developed primarily to defend the rationality of religious belief, it is, nevertheless, pertinent to problems of belief in general. The theme of the work is that Newman's central notions conceal crucial ambiguities. These are the result of his inheriting an inadequate philosophical tradition whose limitations make it exceedingly difficult for him to give systematic expression to his thought. The removal of these ambi guities will allow Newman's thought to reveal itself in all its lucidity.

Hardcover

First published December 31, 1984

About the author

Gerard Casey (born 1951) was a member of the School of Philosophy in University College Dublin (Head from 2001–2006) until he retired in December 2015. He is now a Professor Emeritus of the University. He holds law degrees from the University of London and University College Dublin as well as a primary degree in philosophy from University College Cork, an MA and PhD from the University of Notre Dame and the higher doctorate, DLitt, from the National University of Ireland. He was formerly Assistant Professor at The Catholic University of America (Washington, D.C.), 1983-1986 and Adjunct Professor at the Pontifical Institute in Washington D.C., 1984-86. He is an Associated Scholar at the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama.