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BOOK REVIEWS 153 a number of common criticisms of the being/goodness tradition. Except by Stump's and Kretzmann's essays, I am not encouraged to explore the medieval resources in the tradition, but I expect more encouragement will be forthcoming from the authors in this anthology. Georgetown College Georgetown, Kentucky ROBERT B. KRUSCHWITZ Being and Knowing: Reflections of a Thomist. By FREDERICK D. WIL· HELMSEN. Albany, N.Y.: Preserving Christian Publications, 1991. Pp. 282. $25.00 (cloth) ; $12.00 (paper). In this book Dr. Frederick D. Wilhelmsen has gathered many opuscula , most of them articles previously published in journals such as The Thomist. They are not, however, a random assortment of short works, herded together under a somewhat arbitrary rubric, as such collections are notoriously apt to be. They all fit happily under the heading, " Being and Knowing," and are arranged in an order that shows careful thought: the first chapter deals with the character of metaphysics, following chapters deal with the metaphysics of esse, then further chapters carry the principles already enunciated into various special fields (such as computers, the modern self, and communication), with two final chapters that take the reader into the borderland of philosophy and faith. Wilhelmsen is well known as a vigorous exponent of what is called "existential Thomism." Although acknowledging the influence of Etienne Gilson, Wilhelmsen develops his thought in a way that is his own; he does not deserve to be hailed or dismissed on the basis of a handy tag. Certainly, for him, the doctrine of Thomas on esse is at the center, and radiates its light upon the whole of philosophy (not to say theology) . But not only does Wilhelmsen expound this doctrine with special clarity and trenchancy; he shows its illuminative power in many fields of special contemporary interest, not least in radical critique of modernity-of the Cartesian ego and of the demiurgic attitude towards the world. Polemic purposes, both with respect to the whole modern demarche in philosophy and with respect to Thomisms of other stripes, are often present, sometimes explicit, sometimes implicit. He obviously stands in opposition to the deep assumptions underlying the Cartesian revolution and exercising sway over later thought. :J3ut he also finds much to 154 BOOK REVIEWS fault in would-be Thomists who do not sufficiently subordinate essentia to esse or who adopt a transcendental approach. Chapters VIII and IX exemplify the former confrontation with regard to the modern ego and its self-consciousness. Chapter IV casts a disapproving eye upon the primacy of the question as this is upheld by some eminent transcendental Thomists. An especially fine piece of work, in this reviewer's opinion, is Wilhelmsen 's study in Chapter VI of the relation of creation. The author thinks along with St. Thomas in developing the paradox of two-way priority as between the creature as substance and its relation to the God who creates it. The result is a combination of sharpness in distinguishing and depth in penetrating the ingredients of the solution: esse, divine and creaturely; esse and essentia; substance and accident; relation, real and mental-a masterly exposition of notions at the core of Thomistic metaphysics. I would mention also, particularly for its provocative contrasting of the iconic with the ironic, Chapter X, " The Philosophy of Communication ." Wilhelmsen shows that he is wide awake to the current cultural scene and familiar with those who represent it and shape it. Here and elsewhere we find the " creativity " which he sees, in Chapter One, as belonging to metaphysics. Being and Knowing is a work that belongs on the shelves of all persons interested in Thomas and Thomism, in metaphysics, and in the philosophic ailments of our time and their cure., (One should also, at least parenthetically, congratulate the publishers, Preserving Christian Publications, for their effort to make more accessible such studies as those assembled in this volume. And perhaps one could be forgiven if one noted that such publications as this provide a much healthier stimulation than the pills which share ·the publisher's acronym.) Dominican House of Studies _ washington, D.C. NORMAN FENTON, O.P. ...

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