An Illustrated Brief History of Western Philosophy, ch. 8

In this chapter we take up philosophy in the 13th century. We see the development of the university leading to St. Bonaventure and one of my favorite thinkers, St. Thomas Aquinas. I was particularly interested in the format of Aquinas' argumentation. He would present strongest reasons against a truth, then reasons in favor, then the real reasons for his position, and then respond to the arguments against. I was also surprised to see the author's perspective about Thomas' distinction between faith and knowledge (and therefore natural and revealed). He seems to credit Aquinas with secularism. Thomas was a powerhouse and I have much to learn from him, particularly in areas of essence/existence and the mind.