Gregory T. Doolan provides here the first detailed consideration of the divine ideas as causal principles. He examines Thomas Aquinas's philosophical doctrine of the divine ideas and convincingly argues that it is an essential element of his metaphysics.
According to Thomas, the ideas in the mind of God are not only principles of his knowledge, but they are productive principles as well. In this role, God's ideas act as exemplars for things that he creates. As Doolan shows, this theory of exemplarism is an integral part of Thomas's account of the existence and order of the created universe. It also accounts in part for the freedom of God's creative act. 
The volume begins with an introduction to Thomas's doctrine of exemplarism and then addresses his arguments for the existence of exemplar ideas within the mind of God. Having established the existence of divine ideas, Doolan considers how Thomas reconciles their multiplicity with God's simplicity. The work identifies the various things for which Thomas posits divine ideas. 
As Doolan is careful to show, Thomas does not consider all of these ideas to be exemplars because not all of them act as causal principles. After identifying the ideas that do act in this way, Doolan considers how such exemplars can be causes of natural things without compromising the causality of natural agents. The volume culminates with a consideration of the role that the divine ideas play within the structure of Thomas's theory of participation.
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gregory T. Doolan, assistant professor of philosophy at The Catholic University of America, is a contributor to Wisdom's Apprentice: Thomistic Essays in Honor of Lawrence Dewan, O.P., and Reassessing the Liberal State: Reading Maritain's Man and the State. This is his first book.
 PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:
"An outstanding doctrinal study of Thomas's teaching on exemplary forms. Gregory Doolan argues convincingly that the doctrine of divine exemplarism occupies an essential place in Thomas's metaphysical thought. Doolan has a very good mastery of Thomas's thought; he is familiar with all the relevant literature and takes stand in several interesting debates concerning the subject of his study."—R. A. te Velde, University of Tilburg
"[Doolan] canvasses Aquinas' works thoroughly, explicitly highlighting ideas as exemplar causes, their very existence and their multiplicity, before identifying exemplar ideas, along with the causality proper to them, to finally broach the ways Aquinas uses divine ideas to elucidate his critical strategy of participation. Daunting metaphysical issues all, and those who are drawn to explore them will find a virtual roadmap for Aquinas' treatment in this well-composed study. . . . [A] first step to any student attempting to negotiate these metaphysical shoals." — David Burrell, C.S.C., Nova et Vetera
"Doolan's study is the most detailed philosophical analysis of the divine ideas as causal principles yet published and brings to the fore how this causality is related to that of natural agents and how it fits within the framework of St. Thomas's theory of participation. . . . The work is of great value to scholars due primarily to Doolan's superb textual analyses, synthetic exposition of St. Thomas's thought and commentaries on the work of other Thomists, helpful summaries that conclude several chapters, and clear, direct, highly-readable style. . . . I conclude by whole-heartedly recommending Doolan's study. With it, he has established himself as a first-rate scholar who is not afraid to take a firm, measured stand on currently debatable points." — Jason Mitchell, L.C., Rivista Alpha Omega

Aquinas on the Divine Ideas as Exemplar Causes

Politics & Social Sciences

Doolan, Gregory T.

Philosophy

The Catholic University of America Press

Metaphysics, the science of being as being, is the subject of this volume composed in honor of John F. Wippel, the Theodore Basselin Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, and an internationally prominent metaphysician and expert in medieval philosophy. Scholars present studies on key philosophical and historical issues in the field. Though varied, the investigations address three major metaphysical themes: the subject matter of metaphysics, metaphysical aporiae, and philosophical theology. Robert Sokolowski considers the historical recapitulation of the phrase "the science of being as being"; Dominic O'Meara focuses on the development of this science in late antiquity; Jan A. Aertsen asks why the medievals called it "First Philosophy"; and Andreas Speer returns to the origins of metaphysical discourse for a better understanding of contemporary metaphysical issues. Gregory T. Doolan examines difficulties concerning Aquinas's metaphysics of substance; Jorge Gracia looks to the tradition of scholastic philosophy to examine the individuality and individuation of race; and James Ross argues against the modal ontologies of the twentieth century, showing that metaphysical possibility depends on the existence of a free, divine creator. Stephen F. Brown considers Godfrey of Fontaines on the role of metaphysics in revealed theology; John F. Wippel examines Aquinas on the "preambles of faith," those doctrines presupposed by faith that can also be proven philosophically; Brian J. Shanley addresses Aquinas's philosophical views on providence; Eleonore Stump, looking to Aquinas as well, shows how God can be personally present to human beings; and Marilyn McCord Adams offers a metaphysical consideration of the Christian doctrine of resurrection.ABOUT THE EDITOR:Gregory T. Doolan, associate professor of philosophy at the Catholic University of America, is author of Aquinas on the Divine Ideas as Exemplar Causes, published by CUA Press.

The Science of Being as Being: Metaphysical Investigations (55) (Studies in Philosophy and the History of Philosophy)

Asking the "Big Questions" From the beginning of time, people have wondered about the meaning of human life. Who are we? Why are we here? What is the point of it all? These questions have eternal significance, and just asking them tends to change the way people live their lives. But there are even more fundamental questions than these, questions that ask not only about our being, but about being itself. What does it mean for anything to exist? What makes a being a being? How does being differ from nonbeing? And the ultimate question: Why is there something rather than nothing?Philosophy and the Science of Being Philosophy, in its traditional form as the love of wisdom and pursuit of truth, strives to answer these ultimate questions. And the branch of philosophy that seeks to do so is metaphysics. Aristotle called it the "science of being" because it is concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of existence itself. Catholics might ask, why study metaphysics or philosophy? Don't we have the answers to those questions in theology? But as St. Thomas Aquinas shows, revealed theology is the study of God as he is in himself. What Aquinas calls "philosophical theology" or metaphysics, studies God as the cause of being. Metaphysics proves through logical deduction that the existence of the universe requires a First Cause, a Creator, to account for why there is anything at all.Metaphysics in the Catholic Tradition Dr. Gregory T. Doolan offers a survey of metaphysics in the Catholic tradition. He discusses these topics and more:  - The distinction between philosophy and theology - The nature, principles, and causes of being - The existence of God as the first cause of all being Professor Doolan begins with the roots of metaphysics in pre-Christian Greek philosophy from the great minds of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The course highlights the crowning philosophical achievements of St. Thomas Aquinas during the 13th century. Finally, Professor Doolan references the modern philosophical decline that followed St. Thomas Aquinas. If you're ready to explore the deepest realities of existence, join Professor Gregory T. Doolan for this philosophical survey of metaphysics.

Ultimate Questions, Ultimate Answers: Metaphysics from the Pre-Socratics to Aquinas

Saint Benedict Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Doolan, Gregory T.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Doolan, Gregory T.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Doolan, Gregory T.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Aquinas on the Divine Ideas as Exemplar Causes

The Science of Being as Being: Metaphysical Investigations (55) (Studies in Philosophy and the History of Philosophy)

Ultimate Questions, Ultimate Answers: Metaphysics from the Pre-Socratics to Aquinas