A Contemporary Introduction to Thomistic Metaphysics

by Michael Gorman

A Contemporary Introduction to Metaphysics provides the reader with an introductory presentation of key themes in Thomistic metaphysics. There are many such books, but this one is, to use a phrase Michael Gorman has adopted, "analytic-facing," i.e., it presents things in dialogue with analytic philosophy. Sometimes that means disagreeing with analytic proposals (for example, possible worlds), and sometimes it means agreeing with them (for instance, making ample use of Ryle's notion of "systematically misleading expressions").

What's more, it (gently) takes a somewhat deflationary attitude towards many things metaphysicians like to talk about, such as accidents, universals, and the like. By "deflationary" Gorman means that such items are taken seriously, but their ontological status is taken down a features, universals, possible worlds, and other such things are understood in terms of what substances are and what substances are. Substances are "basic beings," and other things are what they are only in relation to substances. Of course this is Aristotle 101, but metaphysicians, Aristotelians included, often slip into treating non-substances as mini-substances, and Gorman pushes back against this throughout.

A Contemporary Introduction to Thomistic Metaphysics begins by explaining what philosophy is, what metaphysics is, and how these relate to other kinds of thinking. It then moves through a series of topics, ending with a brief look at applications of metaphysical thinking in theology.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, Metaphysics

272 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2024

About the author

Michael Gorman is a graduate of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto (B.A., Christianity and Culture, 1987), The Catholic University of America (Ph.L., Philosophy, 1989), the State University of New York at Buffalo (Ph.D., Philosophy, 1993), and Boston College (Ph.D., Theology, 1997). After serving as assistant professor of Catholic Studies at Saint Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia from 1997 to 1999, he joined the faculty of the School of Philosophy at The Catholic University of America, where he has taught ever since.

Reviews

[Nick Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent “opinionated” introduction to Thomistic metaphysics. This book is most appropriate for students at the undergraduate level, but there is still quite a bit to be gleaned for graduate level students who are admirers of Thomas Aquinas and the thomistic tradition (such as myself). Gorman not only provides clearly insights as to the basic building blocks of Thomistic metaphysics (e.g. substance/accidents, act/potency, essence/existence, necessity/contingency, etc.) but brilliantly puts a Thomistic understanding of these building blocks into conversation with the views of contemporary analytic metaphysicians (hence, making this a “contemporary” introduction.) Chapters 1-7 can be understood as a study of the primary subject matter of metaphysics, being qua being, and all the necessary things that that entails. Chapter 8 shifts gears to looking at the cause of metaphysics, God. Finally, chapter 9 concludes with what metaphysics has to offer to theology, providing the incarnation and transubstantiation as just two case studies to elucidate the relationship between philosophy and theology. Throughout the book, Gorman shows where questions for further exploration lie for the reader interested in going further into the metaphysical weeds. Lastly, the book is filled with many humorous examples and side notes that at least made me chuckle throughout the process, making this easily one of the most entertaining books in Thomistic metaphysics you can find. (One of my favorite footnotes being on page 155, fn. 21).