In Peter Lombard’s Sentences, Book I, Distinction III, the Magister considers how God can be known from creatures. Later commentators will take the opportunity in their comments on this section to present arguments for the existence of God. St. Albertus … Continue reading A Simple Argument for a First Cause from St. Albertus Magnus
In ST III.35.7, St. Thomas considers why Our Lord was born in Bethlehem. Obj 3 argues that Christ should have been born in Rome, which at the time ruled the world, since from there he could have more easily made … Continue reading Aquinas on the Fittingness of the Catholic Church being “Roman”
[Preliminary notes: 1. The translation below is at times extremely wooden and clunky; this is because I have tried to translate as literally as possible. For clarification on a particular phrase or section, leave a comment below. 2. In the … Continue reading Translatio: Scotus’s Lectura Proof of the Existence of God
According to the Thomistic picture, individual created beings are compositions of essence and existential act (esse). The essence stands as potency to the esse which actuates it, resulting in an existing substance. In a paper I am working on and … Continue reading Are the Existential Acts of Created Beings Pure Act?
Cursus Philosophicus Thomisticus Second Volume: Natural Philosophy First Part Proem. Philosophy, if it is taken in the whole breadth of its signification, includes every science, for Philosophy is said [to be] as if love or friendship of science: for which … Continue reading Translatio: John of St. Thomas, Cursus Philosophicus Thomisticus: Natural Philosophy, Part One, Proemium
I have removed a large number of old posts from the blog, for a variety of reasons. I’ve had this blog since my sophomore year of college, and so a lot of the posts were not quite at the level of quality to which I now hold myself. However, I know a number of people still read some of those posts, and have found them helpful. As such, if there is some archived post in particular you would like to read, feel free to send me a message requesting a copy of it. Unfortunately, I am not able to post … Continue reading Update (6/19/22)
Prooemium Sancti Bonaventurae In Librum Primum Sententiarum [1] “He has searched the depths of rivers, and has brought forth into light hidden things” [profunda fluviorum scrutatus est, et abscondita produxit in lucem]. Job XXVII, 11 That word, which has been … Continue reading Translatio: Bonaventure’s Commentary on the Sentences, Prooemium (Part 1)
I. Intro Benjamin Watkins of Real Atheology has presented what he calls “the Agony Argument” (which appears to draw its inspiration from Parfit’s famous Agony Argument) as an objection to a traditional privation theory of evil. It goes as follows: … Continue reading The Agony Argument and the Privation Theory of Evil: A Response to Watkins
The following is the first in a translatio series which I hope to be an ongoing project translating ancient and medieval texts, especially lesser known texts or those which have not been translated. The translations will come in short bits. … Continue reading Translatio: The “Defensiones Theologiae” of Capreolus, Prologue I.1
Most adherents of monotheistic faiths hold that God — whatever else this name may designate — is a reality that is in some sense “personal.” Consider the opening verses of the first chapter of Genesis, a text which has had … Continue reading Is God Personal? Aquinas’s Arguments for the Divine Intellect
Disputed Questions 