Aquinas: The Cogitative Power (vis cogitativa): 2019

Welcome

Any reader of Aquinas will eventually encounter the terms 'internal senses' and 'cogitative power,' as well as 'passive intellect' and 'particular reason.' The primary goal of this website is to facilitate understanding of Aquinas's view of the internal senses in general and the cogitative in particular. With the topic of the cogitative perhaps more than with any other in Thomas’s psychology, one cannot fully understand Aquinas’s assertions without taking into account three philosophers between Aristotle and Aquinas, namely Avicenna, Averroes, and Albert.

This site presents my research, which focuses on (though is not limited to) the accounts of the soul and of the internal senses in these five thinkers.

I will also present links to other relevant sources on the cogitative power that would not come up immediately via a standard search engine.

Secondarily, since I am a philosopher by profession, I will post non-cogitative related philosophical or theological material for any who might be interested.

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

TI Lectures: Philosophy and Neuroscience; Natural Theology

Thanks to the Thomistic Institutes at Yale and the University of Mississippi for the invitations to give these lectures.

1) "Why Modern Science Cannot Explain Away the Human Soul."
Since this was given at Yale, the intent was, in part, to provide an alternative to Prof. Shelly Kagan's course and book entitled Death; at least, as far as possible within a 45-minute lecture. The lecture aimed to situate philosophy as an approach distinct from literature and science. It then addresses the question of the soul's existence and nature.

https://podcast.thomisticinstitute.org/why-modern-science-cannot-explain-away-the-human-soul-prof-mark-barker/

Handout: Soul handout

2) "Is Belief in God Rational?"
While mainly philosophical, the lecture briefly addresses the relationship between Biblical faith and reason in contrast to R. Dawkins' (mis-)use of some Biblical texts.

https://podcast.thomisticinstitute.org/is-belief-in-god-rational-prof-mark-barker/

Handout: Nat. Theo. handout

Both audio's include the Q and A at the end.