A patient and faithful working of primary Thomistic texts, this volume presents a systematic and unified character of Aquinas's theory of moral agency as it relates to human action. Focusing especially on the Summa theologiae, Ralph McInerny carefully argues that Aquinas's theory of moral action stands up to contemporary needs and remains adequate against contemporary criticism. This lively and incisive study by a first-rate scholar demonstrates a breadth of knowledge of Aquinas in a novel, yet scholarly, fashion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ralph McInerny was Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies in the department of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He cofounded Crisis magazine and was author of several books published by CUA Press, namely, the bestselling Ethica Thomistica, The Question of Christian Ethics, Boethius and Aquinas, and Praeambula Fidei.

PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL EDITION:

"Writing with admirable clarity, McInerny has produced a text faithful to the rigor of Aquinas's thinking and intelligible even to people with no special philosophical background. Aquinas would surely have approved."--International Philosophical Quarterly

"Simple while sophisticated, rigorous while engaging, introductory while leading one into the very heart of human action as Aquinas assimilates Aristotle and Augustine--all these qualities characterize this book by a master practitioner of moral philosophy."--Journal of Theological Studies

"A standard exposition of Aquinas's theory of moral action. McInerny covers themes such as human acts, happiness and the good, the structure of the moral act, freedom and coercion, means and ends, exterior and interior acts, the place of reason, conscience, natural law, and practical reasoning. . . . [McInerny] makes an excellent case for the restoration of the authority of Thomas Aquinas to a prominent place in contemporary ethical theory, especially among moral theologians."--Thomist