Introduction to the Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas
As part of the series we have entitled Introduction to the Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas this volume, like the others, claims but modest scope and purpose; for, it bears repeating, the series as a whole is meant to be just what the title says, an introduction, a helping hand to those who are beginning the study of St. Thomas and desire to read him in his own words. Accordingly, though the important problems have all, in varying degree, been examined, the present volume does not pretend to be a complete elaboration of Thomistic metaphysics. Even in a modest work of this nature some choice, however, has to be made in organizing the material and interpreting the doctrine. What has in this regard seemed best to us will appear as the work progresses; it need not, then, be gone into here.
To this final volume of the series—final, at least, as of now—is appended a glossary of St. Thomas' technical vocabulary, held of necessity to terms most frequently met, which are defined according to their most usual sense. While some of the terms, as terms, have their popular usage, in St. Thomas, it should be noted, as for that matter in Scholastic literature generally, they have a meaning of their own, formal and precise, without the grasp of which no real understanding of Thomistic thought is possible. The glossary, such as it is, covers all four volumes of the series: Logic, Cosmology, Psychology, and Metaphysics.
To the presentation of this volume many have in one way or another made valuable contribution. It is with great pleasure that we acknowledge our indebtedness to them, particularly to the confreres Father Guerard des Lauriers and Father Hubert.