God, Philosophy, Universities: A History of the Catholic Philosophical Tradition

Description

Three convictions underlie this book. The first is that an educated Catholic laity needs to understand a good deal more about Catholic philosophical thought than it does now. The warring partisans on the great issues that engage our culture and politics presuppose the truth of some philosophical theses and the falsity of others. Second, argues MacIntyre, Catholic philosophy is best understood historically, as a continuing conversation through the centuries, in which we turn and return to the most important voices from our past. Third, philosophy is not just a matter of propositions affirmed or denied but of philosophers in particular cultural and social situations interacting with each other in their affirmations and denials, in their argumentative wrangling. This is the context for a book of vital importance and interest for anyone involved with education in a religious context. But from someone with MacIntyre's authority and reputation, the reader can expect something extremely perceptive about the role of religion in modern culture and society as a whole. The reader will not be disappointed.

Alasdair MacIntyre is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Contemporary Aristotelian Studies in Ethics and Politics (CASEP) at London Metropolitan University, UK, and an Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, USA. His publications include After Virtue (1981), Whose Justice? Whose Rationality? (1988) and Three Rival Versions of Moral Enquiry (1990). Alasdair MacIntyre is Senior Research Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame. He is the author of several bestselling books, including After Virtue, Whose Justice? Which Rationality?, and A Short History of Ethics (a Routledge Classic).

"A joy...topical, energetic and learned." Church Times, 4th December, 2009. "In this short book MacIntyre..the most distinguished Catholic philosopher in the English-speaking world...makes a powerful case for a new sense of unity and purpose in the quest for truth in universities." The Catholic Herald, March 2010. -- Lucy Beckett Mentioned in an article by John Cornwell, Financial Times, April 2010. 'The discussions and insights to be found in God, Philosophy, Universities are wonderfully fertile. Above all, like the best philosophy, this challenging book manages to reach out well beyond the seminar room.' -- Times Literary Supplement