Part I. Free Will: 1. Free will with and without Aristotle; 2. The psychological turn and the rise of intellectualism; 3. Voluntarism and the condemnation of intellectualism; 4. Intermediary theories and strict intellectualism; 5. Refinements and radicalizations; Part II. Whence Evil?: 6. Does evil have a cause?; 7. The will as the cause of evil; Part III. Angelic Sin: 8. Intellectualist accounts of the angelic fall; 9. Voluntarist and intermediary accounts of the angelic fall; 10. Necessary (and free?) obstinacy.
This book studies medieval theories of free will, including explanations of how angels – that is, ideal agents – can choose evil.
Tobias Hoffmann is Professor of Philosophy at The Catholic University of America. He has edited and co-edited several anthologies, including A Companion to Angels in Medieval Philosophy (2012) and Aquinas and the Nicomachean Ethics (with Jörn Müller and Matthias Perkams, Cambridge, 2013).
'This book provides an historically sound and philosophically
sophisticated overview not only of medieval debates concerning the
angelic freedom to sin, but also of the relevant discussions about
human freedom. It should be read by anyone who is interested in the
conditions under which wrongdoing might be possible.' Thomas
Osborne, University of St Thomas, Houston
'This is a work of notable scholarship and yet, unlike most such
works, eminently readable. I have not enjoyed a philosophical book
so much for a long time.' Alasdair MacIntyre
'The book excels in many categories, most obviously in its patient,
lucid, methodical presentation of often frustratingly complex
ideas. I would like to focus on a feature of the work that readers
may overlook: It tells a story about the development of ideas
about free will, control, and autonomy that serves as a model
for outstanding philosophical pedagogy for anyone who needs to
teach or write on 'multigenerational' history of philosophy.
For most of the book, Hoffmann 'vanishes', bringing
each medieval philosopher to center stage. The book thereby
avoids devolving into mere summary or into anachronistic
discussions that showcase contemporary concerns over and above
those of the philosophers under discussion.' Jeffrey Hause,
Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
'He [Hoffman] has set a very high standard for a differentiated
treatment of the intriguing issues of intellectualism versus
voluntarism, ignorance and evildoing, freedom and necessity in late
medieval debates – a standard future studies on these topics are
well advised to adhere to.' Jörn Müller, Vivarium
'This text will be essential for anyone interested in western
medieval philosophy. From the clear definition and
contextualization of key terms and figures to the breadth of
philosophers discussed, it provides the reader with the necessary
tools to thoroughly engage in some of the most contentious
philosophical debates of the Scholastics.' Joseph Madonna,
Augustinian Studies
'Hoffmann conducts a magisterial scholarly performance, examining
in clear, cogent detail contributions by scores of medieval
figures, some obscure, some famously sainted, who grapple with this
most fundamental of human questions. Hoffmann's prose and voice,
passim, could not be more humane and attentive to readers' needs,
in a virtuoso display of critical analysis, while tackling one of
the most complicated issues in medieval philosophic history. As you
read, you'll find yourself gazing up into the empyrean after every
few pages contemplating the human will and the entire structure of
the psyche, and how all human action is informed either by desire
or by reason or by a battle between the two. The magisterial book
has copious footnotes and concludes with a hearty bibliography, an
index of manuscripts, and a dense general index. When I finished
this book, I felt like I had lost a friend, or a hundred friends
that I had been debating with. Provocative intellectual pleasures,
not sinful ones, abound on every well-wrought page.' Michael
Calabrese, Medieval Review
'Hoffmann collects with exemplary diligence the relevant
texts, offering expert information about chronology as he
goes, and providing comprehensive references to the large and
multilingual secondary literature. No one should think of
starting their research on this subject anywhere but here.
Chapter by chapter, [he] provides the best narrative of these
issues that's currently available, going back as
needed to discuss figures like Augustine, Anselm,
and Bernard of Clairvaux, but focusing on the period from
Bonaventure and Aquinas to Peter Auriol and William of
Ockham. There's no disputing the broad contours of his story:
that the debate over free will takes on a special richness
beginning in the mid-thirteenth century, and that discussions
of the origin of sin shed a particular light on essential
aspects of the debate. On every page, there's much to be
learned from the fine-grained details of his narrative, and
when Hoffmann turns to synthesis, as on page 93, he does it
with crystalline clarity.' Robert Pasnau, The Philosophical
Review
'His study is innovative in at least three respects. First, it
sheds new light on well-known theories. Second, Hoffmann's study is
also innovative because it includes a number of rather unknown
authors who are often neglected in textbooks and standard
histories of medieval philosophy. In fact, he shows that it is
in these 'minor authors' that one finds some of the most
remarkable contributions to the debate. Third, Hoffmann's study is
remarkable because it does not simply present a series of medieval
theories. It goes beyond a mere historical reconstruction by
pointing out a deep problem that is already mentioned at the
beginning of the book and stated again at the end: 'Despite
important differences, all thinkers converge on the idea that
a perverse choice lacks an ultimate explanation'. Hoffmann's rich
and detailed book is to be recommended to anyone interested in
this fundamental problem.' Dominik Perler, Journal of the
History of Philosophy
'Exceptionally well written and thoroughly engaging, this is an
excellent resource for those interested in free will, moral agency,
and/or Christian philosophy. Recommended.' W. Simkulet, Choice
'… highly original … rich and detailed …' Dominik Perler, Journal
of the History of Philosophy
'The book will be useful to many medievalists … namely the richness
of the exposed content which makes this book a tool for better
understanding the relationship between intellect and will, as well
as the theory of free choice in many medieval thinkers.' Joel
Biard, Archives de philosophie
'Hoffmann is an expert guide, and is able both to cast new light on
the more-or-less well-known material that constitutes the first
part of his project, and to give a clear and compelling account of
the largely novel material that can be found in the second part of
it.' Richard Cross, The Thomist
'Hoffmann is a masterful, sure-footed guide over the challenging
intellectual landscape he surveys, leading readers carefully
through a dense forest of high-scholastic authors, their various
Latin texts, and their involute and subtle arguments on free will,
evil, and angelic sin. … this excellent book … should be read by
all who are interested in medieval scholastic angelology, the
nature of free will, and the origin and reality of moral evil.'
Franklin T. Harkins, Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies
'In many instances, what is most salutary about the scholastic
theologians of the middle ages is not their individual answers to
questions, but their ability to isolate questions, and their sense
for the kinds of rational and authoritative considerations that
must be faced straightforwardly in pursuit of the intellectus fidei
– the intellection of the faith. For anyone interested in such
pursuits, our medieval forebears are eminently worthy of our
imitation. Theologians are indebted to Hoffmann for making these
minds, their arguments, and above all their intellectual spirit,
more readily accessible.' Justus Hunter, International Journal of
Systematic Theology
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
