Scholastic Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction

Edward Feser's Scholastic Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction represents a significant intervention in contemporary philosophy of religion by systematically defending classical theistic metaphysics against modern naturalistic alternatives. The work operates as both an introduction to Scholastic philosophical principles and a sustained argument for their superiority over post-Humean metaphysical frameworks that dominate contemporary analytic philosophy.

Feser structures his argument around core Scholastic distinctions—act and potency, essence and existence, substance and accident, form and matter—demonstrating their explanatory power for addressing perennial philosophical problems. He contends that the abandonment of these categories in early modern philosophy created intractable difficulties that persist in contemporary thought, particularly regarding causation, persistence through change, and the mind-body problem. The work directly challenges mechanistic materialism and Humean skepticism about causation, arguing that these positions rest on impoverished metaphysical foundations.

Central to Feser's project is the rehabilitation of formal and final causality, which he argues modern philosophy prematurely discarded. He demonstrates how their rejection leads to incoherent accounts of natural regularities, biological function, and conscious intentionality. This metaphysical framework grounds his defense of classical theistic proofs, particularly those dependent on the distinction between essence and existence and the principle of proportionate causality. Feser argues that properly understood Scholastic metaphysics inevitably points toward divine existence as the necessary ground of contingent reality.

The work engages critically with contemporary naturalists, particularly those who claim scientific support for atheistic materialism. Feser argues that science presupposes rather than establishes metaphysical naturalism, and that Scholastic categories better accommodate scientific findings than reductive physicalism. He addresses objections from prominent atheistic philosophers while showing how their arguments often misunderstand classical theistic claims by imposing modern conceptual frameworks.

Feser's contribution extends beyond historical recovery to active philosophical argumentation. He positions Scholastic metaphysics as a living tradition capable of addressing contemporary debates about consciousness, personal identity, natural laws, and divine action. The work serves dual purposes: introducing newcomers to Scholastic thought while defending its contemporary relevance against both theistic personalists and naturalistic critics. His rigorous analytical approach demonstrates that classical theism remains philosophically viable, offering resources for answering questions that plague post-Cartesian philosophy while providing metaphysical foundations for robust natural theology.