-
203How can one search for God?: The paradox of inquiry in Augustine's confessionsMetaphilosophy 39 (1). 2008.The Confessions recounts Augustine 's successful search for God. But Augustine worries that one cannot search for God if one does not already know God. That version of the paradox of inquiry dominates and structures Confessions 1–10. I draw connections between the dramatic opening lines of book 1 and the climactic discussion in book 10.26–38 and argue that the latter discussion contains Augustine 's resolution of the paradox of inquiry as it applies to the special case of searching for God. I cl…Read more
-
41Practical Reasoning and Reasons-Explanations: Aquinas's Account of Reasons Role in ActionIn Scott MacDonald & Eleonore Stump (eds.), Aquinas's Moral Theory, Cornell University Press. 1999.
-
82Foundations in Aquinas's ethicsSocial Philosophy and Policy 25 (1): 350-367. 2008.Aquinas argues that practical reasoning requires foundations: first practical principles (ultimate ends) grasped by us per se from which deliberation proceeds. Contrary to the thesis of an important paper of Terence Irwin's, I deny that Aquinas advances two inconsistent conceptions of the scope of deliberation and, correspondingly, two inconsistent accounts of the content of the first practical principles presupposed by deliberation. On my account, Aquinas consistently takes first practical prin…Read more
-
14Book Review: Philosophies of Existence: Ancient and Medieval. Parviz Morewedge. (review)Ancient Philosophy 7 259-61. 1987.
-
44Aquina's Ultimate Ends: A Reply to GrisezAmerican Journal of Jurisprudence 46 (1): 37-49. 2001.A large part of the ambitious project that Grisez sketches in his paper can reasonably be thought of as developing and extending in interesting ways ideas of Thomas Aquinas. But in Part IV of the paper Grisez dramatically parts company with Aquinas on what might seem a fundamental issue. Aquinas famously holds that human beings find their ultimate fulfillment in beatific vision of God. Grisez tells us that, as he understands that claim, it is false.
Ithaca, New York, United States of America
Areas of Specialization
Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy |
Philosophy of Religion |