Introduction to Philosophical Principles: Logic, Physics, and the Human Person

by Brian Kemple

This short book introduces the most important principles for conducting any systematic philosophical inquiry, and therefore for building any serious philosophical habit. These principles are broken down into three logic, physics, and person; or, the basic encounter with thought, with the world, and the nexus of thought and world.Although the work draws on the traditions of Thomism, Semiotics, and Phenomenology, readers are not introduced to the history of philosophy in any tradition nor given extensive dialectical arguments. Rather, this book should be considered an introduction to philosophical questioning in the pursuit of developing a philosophical habit--that is, the habit of routinely examining human life and the experiences had within it.This book is intended, in other words, to be a helpful series of guideposts not only as to the kind of material you should engage if pursing a philosophical mentality, or the sorts of questions you should ask—which would be an introduction to the cultural phenomenon of philosophy—but to how the very process of philosophy is carried out. It may not always help, and the farther you progress in questioning thoughts, the world, and the nexus of the two, the less likely you will be to find a complete answer here, either as to content or as to but it is to be hoped that this will provide a solid basis for that progress.

Genres: Philosophy

204 pages, Paperback

Published April 6, 2019

About the author

Brian Kemple (PhD, University of St. Thomas , Houston TX 2016) is the Director of the Lyceum Institute (https://lyceum.institute) and Executive Editor of Reality: a Journal for Philosophical Discourse (https://realityjournal.org).

He researches and writes in the areas of Thomism, Semiotics, and Phenomenology, and works to bring intellectual rigor outside the confining halls of academia.

Reviews

[Gonzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very helpful in my journey through the works of Aristotle and Aquinas. It is written with great vigor and enthusiasm, and it makes you excited to learn philosophy.

Another reviewer claims that the work is too academic. This might be flipped around: Is the author expert enough on the subject for me to care about his opinion on it, yet able to dumb down the subject well enough so an idiot like myself can enjoy it? For the most part, Kemple succeeds in this, though at points packs in more information than an idiot could enjoy. The discussion of Aristotle's four causes, for example, packs in more information than strictly necessary.

Yet the book as a whole will leave you wanting more--of Aristotle, Aquinas, and of philosophy as a whole.

[Clinton Wilcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Special thanks to Brian Kemple for the free book to review.

Brian Kemple is definitely knowledgeable in the fields he's wanting to give an introduction to. Unfortunately, the book reads like a more academic work, so I wouldn't say that just anyone interested in these topics should read the book. Kemple writes from an Aristotelian perspective which, of course, is philosophically complex but Kemple does a good job of explaining the concepts that come up, and even goes into a bit more detail about some things that I haven't seen in the books of other Aristotelian-Thomistic writers. Since the book reads a bit more academically, it is pretty dry in most places, although there is a bit of humor sprinkled in here or there. And there are an excessive amount of typographical errors. It's enough to be distracting, and in some cases even changes the meaning of what Kemple attempts to convey. It makes me wonder if he had the book proofread before he published it (he mentions that the book is self-published).

Kemple's book tackles three areas of philosophy: logic, physics, and personhood (physics, of course, is a branch of science, but all sciences must be informed by philosophy in order for good work to be done). His book does contain footnotes but it also contains glosses in case you want to read up on further information regarding whatever the gloss is referring to. Kemple doesn't just explain these concepts from an Aristotelian perspective, but he gives a lot of background information that is necessary to understand before informing you about the subject at hand.

I would say the book is worth considering for a read, but may not be of interest to anyone not specifically interested in pursuing philosophy. And a little bit of background knowledge of Aquinas' thought will probably be helpful. I'd recommend reading Aquinas (A Beginner's Guide) by Edward Feser before trying to tackle this.