The Aesthetics of Thomas Aquinas

One of my favorite books. Reading about beauty really opens your eyes to it. Very well written. Recommend.

Got it as a gift for my dad. I really like Eco, he really likes Aquinas. So there you have it. I read the intro, seems pretty cool. Pops hasn't put it down.

Many of us have heard of the masterpiece written by St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century, the Summa Theologiae. However, this very little known work by the Semiotician, Umberto Eco, writter of the novel In the Name of the Rose, presents in an easy to understand, and with great depth, the aesthetics and views of St. Thomas with respect to the beautiful, art, and music. Eco, allows the reader to understand with more clarity, the thought of Scholastic philosophical and aesthetic thought with reference to Thomas, Augustine, Boetheius, Plato, Aristotle and many other great thinkers found throughout the course of history. Furthermore, Eco interprets the Summa Theologiae to understand such concepts as: visio, musical theory, artist, and many others.In simple to use language, Eco renews the inspiration and awe that was seen long ago in interpretation of the aesthetic. Thus, philosophy does not have to be something complicated, rather a basis for everything else we do. Therefore, when we see a painting, listen to a piece of music, read a poem, etc, we interpret the beauty that derives from that particular work and Eco, in this book shows us how we can do it by understanding the thought of one of the foremost thinkers of all time, St. Thomas Aquinas.This book is a must have for philsophers, musicians, artists, and anyone who may be interested in interpreting art work, poetry, music, and the Beautiful with greater profundity.

This book contains all you need to know about the theory of beauty. Eco is fair to all. A demanding, unforgettable book

Unfortunately there must have been an error in the printing of this book as the front cover reads The Aesthetics of Thomas Ono Aquinas by Umberto Eco but the content of the book is Hierarchy in the Forest the evolution of Egalitarian Behavior by Christopher Boehm.Disappointing as it was given as a gift.

Fun-yet-substantial intro to Thomistic aesthetics by someone who not only has a solid grounding in Thomistic philosophy, but also an uncanny gift of writing.