Peter Kreeft

This book is a one-of-a-kind study on Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus. If Jesus Christ is wisdom incarnate, and if Mary loved Him more than anyone else ever did, then it holds that Mary is the greatest philosopher, the greatest wisdom-lover. With precision and humor, Kreeft not only unpacks the thought and spirit of Mary as we know her through Scripture and Church doctrine, but offers a heartfelt crash course in the basics of philosophy—methodology, epistemology, logic, metaphysics, show more cosmology, ethics, politics, aesthetics, and more—all through the lens of the Mother of God. show less

In the second half of the thirteenth century, Thomas Aquinas wrote his famous Summa Theologica which became one of the most influential works of Western literature. He wrote the Summa not for advanced students, but (according to the preface) "for beginners." In Summa Philosophica, Peter Kreeft has followed the form of Aquinas and produced a book for beginners to get started in philosophy.

Kreeft's Summa contains 110 "short books," or summaries of various philosophical questions such as show more "Whether time is infinite?" and "Whether organized religion has done more harm than good?" Each article follows the same form:

1. The question is written in a yes or no format beginning with the word "whether."
2. Multiple objections to the argument are offered.
3. The author's own position is stated beginning with "On the contrary."
4. The author's position is argued beginning with "I answer that."
5. Each objection is addressed.

Kreeft's sense of humour is evident throughout the book. The "Preliminary Note," for example, reads:

"Dear Prospective reader, If you're wondering whether this book is worth your time to read or your money to buy, don't read the long, dull Introduction first. Browse through the book itself" (vi).

My favourite bit of humour comes at the end in the section entitled "Meta-Philosophical Evaluation of All of the Above" (245). I don't want to spoil the surprise so I'll save the body of this section for you to discover.

This is not a book to be read through in a few sessions—rather, it's worth taking the time to read each summa slowly. Often times I read back in the article, reviewing the objection before reading Kreeft's response.

While each summa is logically argued, I found myself disagreeing with a number of his replies. For example, in "Whether there is a double standard for good for states and individuals?" (201 ff.) Kreeft offers the objection that Christ both taught and practiced nonviolence (202). He answers the objection by stating that "when Christ taught nonviolence He was addressing individuals ... and taught this as a counsel of perfection, not a universal command of justice" (203). This, of course, is the standard Roman Catholic view of the Sermon on the Mount—that Jesus taught a two-level ethic. I heartily disagree with this view! Many of the statements in Kreeft's responses could merit their own summa!

Kreeft's intelligence and ability to turn a phrase is in full display. Consider his argument "Whether all persons are beautiful?" (221 ff.). In response to the objection that some people are evil and that Hitler, for example, is "uglier than a hyena" (221), he responds by reminding us that the image of God "remains even when defaced, like a great painting beneath layers of dirt. Great evildoers are morally ugly only because they are ontologically beautiful" (222).

Kreeft's Summa Philosophica is a book like no other. It's both interesting and instructive to reflect on article by article. Not only are the questions themselves interesting, the style of argumentation is a good way to hone your logic skills. show less

This book is one of those rare books worth reading twice.

I bought the book while at Tyndale for a course in Wisdom Literature. I pulled it off the self a few weeks ago as a reference work for a sermon I was writing and couldn't stop reading. As Kreeft himself wrote (about Wisdom Literature), "a classic is like a cow: it gives fresh milk every morning" (7). This book will pull you in.

Three Philosophies of Life covers three books of the Bible: Ecclesiastes, Job, and Song of Songs. Kreeft show more interprets them in sequence.

Ecclesiates

Ecclesiastes is hell. As the first truly existentialist work, the author describes life "under the sun," apart from a God who loves. Kreeft describes this book as a starting point en route to faith. It is "like the silhouette of the rest of the Bible" (23). The final words of Ecclesiastes (whether appended by a later redactor or not) point us toward Job:

"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ESV).

Job

Job is purgatory. Kreeft's footnote on this term demonstrates his sense of humour:

"Note to Protestant readers: please do not throw this book away just yet. I am not presupposing or trying to convert anyone to the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory. Here I mean by Purgatory any suffering that purges the soul. It begins in this life. If it is completed in the next, you can just as well call it Heaven's bathroom, if you like. A sanctification by any other name would smell as sweet" (8).

Job followed the advice at the end of Ecclesiastes and suffered greatly. This is still a big spiritual step forward, though, because Job engaged the living God—he didn't merely philosophize at a distance (cf. Ecclesiastes 5).

Kreeft lays out his theodicy here in logical fashion. He uses Augustine to make the problem clear, "If God were all-good, He would will only good, and if He were all-powerful, He would be able to do all that He wills. But there is evil [as well as good]. Therefore God is either not all-good or not all-powerful, or both" (64).

In the end, Job gained the audience with God he desired. Instead of protesting his innocence, however, he was shut up. This encounter is the transition from the suffering purgatory of Job to ...

Song of Songs

Song of Songs is heaven. It is a "double love story, vertical and horizontal, divine and human" (100). As a metaphor, it's been delved by saints of all ages.

Finally, we've reached the point where we understand God as lover and ourselves as beloved. Kreeft reflects on 26 aspects of love, while recognizing that he is only scratching the surface. "For more, both in quantity and quality, go to the saints" (201).

Kreeft's Three Philosophies will make these three ancient books of Scripture come alive in your life. show less

My introduction to Peter Kreeft’s work took place via his magnum opus Socratic Logic – A Logic Text Using Socratic Method, Platonic Questions, And Aristotelian Principles Edition 3.1. With that book Kreeft set the bar extremely high for his own work given the phenomenal job he did in the creation of that book. Thankfully, that type of high quality standard travels with him to this other book.

Philosophy 101 By Socrates – An Introduction To Plato’s Apology by Peter Kreeft PhD is an show more indispensable introduction into the realm of Philosophy.

Although notably not as long as Kreeft’s book cited initially, this book still packs a punch. The author creates what one may call a ‘user-friendly’ guide to Philosophy.

Given its length, the book can be read rather quickly. Additionally, Philosophy 101 by Socrates is distilled to serve as a jump-off point for the reader/learner to venture forth into other philosophical topics. Not only is it possible to use this book as a portable classroom, but it can be useful for homeschooling and even college classrooms.

Arguably the main strength of the Kreeft thesis is that philosophy takes no prisoners. It questions everything. Like a curious kid asking why in their nascent stage, it seeks truth – not belief – within every crevice it dares to delve into. This may be problematic for individuals that do not want their beliefs question.

Kreeft shows how Socrates ‘philosophy operates in the following passage:

“Socrates is the apostle of reason. He demands that we give logical reasons, grounds for beliefs, and follow the logical consequences of our beliefs, taken as premises or hypotheses, to their logical conclusions through a number of logically compelling steps.”[1]

Such incisiveness will undoubtedly get to the core of the issue far more often than not if employed correctly.

And yet, as Kreeft implies, philosophy isn’t an antithesis to certain disciplines, such as religion. In fact, Kreeft goes to show how faith and reason can coexist if used trenchantly:

“One of the main functions of philosophy as practiced by Socrates is a critique of religion, finding reasons for (or against) faith. These reasons often claim only probability rather than certainty; and even when they claim certainty, they may be mistaken) for man is not God and infallible); but it is surely a gain to use binocular vision, reason and faith, and to make at least somewhat clearer and/or more reasonable the ideas most people find the most important in their lives.”[2]

As an introduction to philosophy and Socrates simultaneously, one would be hard-pressed to find a better book than this. In that Kreeft does an exceptional job in showing how Philosophy and Socrates interweave, especially given how Socrates planted many of the seeds for this whole discipline with his life’s work.

Using Plato’s Apology as a jump-off point, Kreeft undertakes the task to show the reader many of the ways philosophy can be understood by using forty different descriptions of the subject. It was particularly interesting seeing the range of descriptions that Kreeft was able to come up with – some of it which might shock the reader – and how he was able to seamlessly show how apt those descriptions were to the act of philosophizing.

Subsequent to that Kreeft gives readers a cursory analysis of parts of the Euthyphro, as well as Phaedo, which are both dialogues by Plato, the latter of which details Socrates’ last days. There are various purposes for the dialogues and the commentary that follows, and these merge swiftly with the overview of philosophy that Kreeft undertook.

One of the main strengths of this book is its ability to narrow complex topics into practical – but not overly simplified – gems of information that the reader can glean. By contrast, many other philosophy books tend to overcomplicate philosophy, which turn readers off, or to oversimplify philosophy, which ends up not showcasing the latitude that philosophy can employ when used trenchantly.

This practical primer of philosophy also helps readers realize the importance of the art of cross-examination, which Socrates is the father of. Coupled with that, and more importantly, by its very precision cross-examination employs in philosophy, Kreeft helps readers gain an understanding of the thorough depth which philosophy will go to in search for truth. This journey in search for Wisdom will percolate into all disciplines, and can only strengthen an individual’s repertoire.

Drawing on all the data above, the book should be an integral component in education. What the book offers is a template for what’s possible by philosophy’s employment, and not having these skills/knowledge in life emblematic of a surgeon at the operating room without a scalpel.

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Sources & References:

[1] Peter Kreeft Ph.D., Philosophy 101 By Socrates – An Introduction To Plato’s Apology, p. 104.
[2] Ibid., p. 141. show less