Paperback / softback | |
June 19, 2013 | |
9780813221458 | |
English | |
216 | |
8.50 Inches (US) | |
5.50 Inches (US) | |
.55 Pounds (US) | |
$24.95 USD | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Living the Good Life
A Beginner's Thomistic Ethics
Living the Good Life presents a brief introduction to virtue and vice, self-control and weakness, misery and happiness. The book contrasts the thought of Aquinas with popular views, such as moral relativism, values clarification, utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, and situation ethics. Following the Socratic dictum "know thyself," Steven J. Jensen investigates the interior workings of the human mind, revealing the interplay of reason, will, and emotions. According to Aquinas, in a healthy ethical life, reason guides the emotions and will to the true human good. In an unhealthy life, emotional impulses distort the vision of reason, entrapping one in futile pursuits. In the human struggle to gain self-mastery, a person must overcome the capricious desires that enslave him to false goods.
Jensen ably guides readers through Aquinas's philosophy and explains the distinction between the moral and intellectual virtues. The moral virtues train our various desires toward the true good, helping us discard our misguided cravings and teaching us to enjoy what is truly worth pursuing. The virtue of justice directs our hearts to the good of others, freeing us from egoism in order to seek a good shared with others. The intellectual virtues train the mind toward the truth, so that we can find fulfillment in human understanding. Most important, the virtue of prudence directs our deliberations to discover the true path of
life.
Intended as a text for students, beginners of philosophy will gain access to a key aspect of Aquinas's thought, namely, that true happiness is realized not in the animal life of passion and greed but only in the reasonable pursuit of human goods, in which we find true peace and rest from the distractions of this world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Steven J. Jensen is associate professor of philosophy at the University of St. Thomas in Houston and specializes in the areas of ethics and medieval philosophy. He is the author of Good and Evil Actions: A Journey through Saint Thomas Aquinas and editor of The Ethics of Organ Transplantation.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:
"An accurate, complete, and widely accessible presentation of the fundamental
elements of St. Thomas's thought on moral philosophy."—Stephen L. Brock, professor
of medieval philosophy, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome
"Steven Jensen presents a sound introductory text on the ethics of St. Thomas."—
Thomas A. Cavanaugh, professor of philosophy, University of San Francisco
"This small volume provides a brief, clear introduction to the ethical theory of Thomas Aquinas. . .This will be a useful book for teachers and students of moral and political philosophy. . .Recommended." -Choice
About the Author
Reviews
"This small volume provides a brief, clear introduction to the ethical theory of Thomas Aquinas This will be a useful book for teachers and students of moral and political philosophy."—W.P. Haggerty, CHOICE
"Jensen's book offers one of the clearest, comprehensive and most systematic expositions of Thomistic ethics aimed at helping the beginner to understand the essential features of Aquinas's account, and serving as a practical guide for moral conduct."—Jason T. Eberl, Theology
"Living the Good Life is everything that an introductory philosophy text should be: lucid, incisive, engaging, and a pleasure to read. In just two hundred pages, Jensen manages to provide an overview of Thomistic ethics that is comprehensive without being overly technical, and useful to anyone wishing to think about contemporary moral issues with the mind of Thomas Aquinas... In sum, Living the Good Life is an excellent beginner's Thomistic ethics. It belongs on the shelf of every Thomist. There is every reason to believe that in time it will become the standard work on the subject for use at the undergraduate level."—Giuseppe Butera, Providence College, American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly
"In addressing contemporary issues with Thomistic ethics, Jensen shows the timelessness of the saint's perspective."—Brian Welter, National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly
"Jensen's book provides an overview of Thomas Aquinas's ethics that clearly and competently explicates Aquinas's complex system of ethical thought Jensen's work provides a good starting point for understanding Aquinas's ethics that will be accessible to undergraduate students."—Ann Crawford Vinski, Duquesne Univ, Religious Studies Review
Paperback / softback | |
June 19, 2013 | |
9780813221458 | |
English | |
216 | |
8.50 Inches (US) | |
5.50 Inches (US) | |
.55 Pounds (US) | |
$24.95 USD | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Other Titles by Steven J. Jensen
Knowing the Natural Law
From Human Dignity to Natural Law
The Human Person
Other Titles in PHILOSOPHY / History & Surveys / Medieval
Metaphysical Themes in Thomas Aquinas III
Mystery and Intelligibility
The Art of Conjecture
Other Titles in Western philosophy: Medieval & Renaissance, c 500 to c 1600
Cusanus
Aquinas on Emotion's Participation in Reason
Reading Cusanus