Aquinas : Selected Writings Book

Of the Selected Writings, I read:

-The Inaugural Sermons
-On the Principles of Nature
-On Being and Essence
-The Nature of Theology
-Proof of God's Existence
-The Human Good
-On Goodness and the Goodness of God
-Definitions of Soul
-On the Ultimate End
-On Human Choice

Most of these sections were read at least twice. Most were read many more than two times. I supplemented my reading with four books ABOUT the writings of Aquinas. I have never been more thoroughly over a book in my life.

Atheists need to read Aquinas. Not because he presents a convincing argument for the existence of God. But because he presents a deeply compelling and logically sound argument against atheism. And frankly, for the more strident and less learned atheists of the world (most of them), reading Aquinas would remove a lot of the duds from their arsenal of weapons frequently lobbed against religion.*

A background in Aristotle would have been extremely helpful in my reading of these selections.

Aquinas thinks and writes in a highly abstract state. Sometimes his concepts were so elusive that I almost had to meditate to reach some transcendental state of complete detachment from everything I thought I understood. And if I did it just right I could sometimes grasp his reasoning for one fraction of one second. Just long enough to understand that he was on to something. It was very difficult reading but I did find that with a dogged determination and enough coffee you can slog on and eventually it does become a little easier to understand the way he writes and presents arguments.

A SOLID background in traditional logic would have been extremely helpful in my reading of these selections.

My 15-year old seemed to come to an understanding with Aquinas more rapidly than I did. Is this because she's smarter than I am. Yes. Kind of. But I think there's a benefit to reading philosophy before your mind has fully gelled. That being said, time travel is still in the early stages of development and I can only read it at the age I am now. Save yourselves.

*Edited to add that I am an atheist of long-standing and remain so even after this reading.