Jacques Maritain was a preeminent interpreter of the thought of Thomas Aquinas and author of more than 50 books in metaphysics, the philosophy of science, aesthetics and social and political philosophy. In this book, Dougherty shares his lifetime interest in and study of Maritain with readers.
Jacques Maritain (1882-1973), one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century, was a preeminent interpreter of the thought of Thomas Aquinas and author of more than fifty books in metaphysics, the philosophy of science, aesthetics, and social and political philosophy. A giant in his field, he combined his Catholic faith and wide-ranging intellect to address contemporary issues and the many facets of the human experience. In Jacques Maritain: An Intellectual Profile, Jude P. Dougherty shares his lifetime interest in and study of Maritain with readers. He offers the most complete introduction to Maritain yet to be published, highlighting Maritain's many contributions to philosophy. Throughout, the reader gains a clear sense of Maritain the man, his relationships with other notable figures of his time, and his engagement in many of the debates of the twentieth century. Dougherty's essays offer an appreciation of the perennial value of Maritain's intellect. He follows Maritain's philosophical journey from his early critique on the metaphysics of Henri Bergson to the publication of L'Eglise du Christ in 1973. Accessible to readers new to Maritain's work and to the Thomistic tradition, the book will be welcomed by seasoned scholars as well.