No philosophical idea, no matter how small, can live alone. Ideas always gain their force, power, and life from their surroundings - their ecosystem. The ecosystem of ideas defended in this book comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle and his medieval interpreter, Thomas Aquinas. The ongoing relevance of their philosophical thought to twenty-first century issues is opened up in fascinating ways in this book. Life, the Universe, and Everything is the product of thirty years of teaching introductory courses in philosophy. Assuming no prior background, it only requires of readers an enquiring mind and a willingness to think carefully. An ideal guide to the big questions we face.

Life, the Universe and Everything: An Aristotelian Philosophy for a Scientific Age

Politics & Social Sciences

Machuga, Ric

Philosophy

Lutterworth Press

--Has modern science made philosophy obsolete? --Is the soul real? --Do we have a free will? --Why should we be moral? --Does God exist, and if so, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world? --What is the relation between faith and reason? Ric Machuga takes a holistic approach to these questions. No philosophical idea, no matter how small, can live alone. Ideas always gain their force, power, and life from their surroundings--their ""ecosystem."" The ecosystem of ideas defended in this book comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle and his medieval interpreter, Thomas Aquinas. The ongoing relevance of their philosophical thought to twenty-first century issues is opened up in fascinating ways. Life, the Universe, and Everything is the product of thirty years of teaching introductory courses in philosophy. Assuming no prior background, it only requires of readers an enquiring mind and a willingness to think carefully. An ideal guide to the big questions we face. ""'Ideas always exist in an ecosystem.' Patiently unpacking this simple but powerful truth with the skill of a master teacher, Ric Machuga has written a book as wise as it is winsomely modest."" --John Wilson Editor, Books &amp; Culture ""This is a clearly written, wonderfully engaging account of Aristotelianism for our contemporary world. It is, in short, a defense of `first philosophy,' the idea that philosophy and philosophical reflection is the starting point of, and that which illuminates and clarifies, all that we believe that we know in the other disciplines in the university, especially the hard sciences. I applaud Professor Machuga for this outstanding book."" --Francis J. Beckwith Professor of Philosophy and Church-State Studies Baylor University ""Modestly but engagingly written, and yet ambitious in scope, this 'Aristotelian' tour of the great loci of philosophy is a tour de force. It is the fruit, not of quickly-written 'research', but of many years' teaching of primary, classic texts, and it shows. A careful reading will provide a philosophical education, in the old-fashioned sense of that word. The reader will put the book down both better informed, and wiser."" --Paul Helm Regent College, Vancouver, BC Ric Machuga has taught philosophy and in the Honor Program at Butte College for thirty years. He is the author of In Defense of the Soul (2002) and numerous pieces for Books and Culture.

Life, the Universe, and Everything

Wipf and Stock

- Is the existence of God a matter of faith or knowledge? - Does God sometimes act miraculously or are there physical causes for everything? - Is morality absolute or relative? - Are humans truly free or does God's sovereignty determine everything? - When bad things happen, is God the cause or are they the fault of humans? Too frequently Christians answer these questions with a Yes to one side and a No to the other side. Thomas Aquinas and Karl Barth answer Yes to both. Following their model, Machuga defends a ""third way"" which transcends the Enlightenment dichotomies of fideism vs. rationalism, supernaturalism vs. naturalism, relativism vs. absolutism, free will vs. predestination, and God's justice vs. his mercy. Machuga begins by showing how these false dichotomies grew out of the Enlightenment assumptions of mechanism, universal quantification, and mono-causation. He then corrects these demonstrably dubious assumptions by articulating a theory of dual-causation. The result is a thoroughly biblical understanding of God, miracles, and free will that can withstand the contemporary criticisms of both science and philosophy. ""This patient, lucid argument unpacks the false dichotomies that bedevil controversies about God's sovereignty, human freedom, and divine judgment, leading us persuasively to embrace humility, mystery, and confident hope."" --John Wilson, editor of Books &amp; Culture ""So much confusion about belief in God, morality, and science arises, not from what people say they believe, but rather from mistaken assumptions about God, morality, and science that they don't know they believe. In Three Theological Mistakes, Ric Machuga, with clarity and grace, explains the genesis of these mistakes and provides the intellectual tools by which we can recover from them."" --Francis J. Beckwith, Professor of Philosophy &amp; Church-State Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX Ric Machuga has taught philosophy and in the Honor Program at Butte College for thirty-five years. He is the author of In Defense of the Soul (2002), Life, the Universe, and Everything (2011), and numerous pieces for Books &amp; Culture.

Three Theological Mistakes

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

The claims of evolution and, more recently, the proponents of artificial intelligence have brought into question what it means to be human. Denying the existence of the soul apart from the body, many contemporary scientists are devout materialists‹putting the traditional Aristotelian and Thomistic conception of the human being far out of fashion. 
However, Ric Machuga argues convincingly that our nature "is an essential unity of both the material and the immaterial," that we not only have a soul but that we are a soul. The body is a necessary‹but not sufficient‹condition for human existence. 
In Defense of the Soul is an accessible and timely treatment of a timeless topic: what it means to be human. Not only will it attract readers interested in artificial intelligence, evolution, and the intelligent design debate, it¹s ideal for introductory college and seminary courses in philosophy. It includes an appendix that specifically assesses intelligent design, as well as a thick bibliography that provides an excellent guide to other sources on the topic.

In Defense of the Soul: What It Means to Be Human

Brazos Pr

--Has modern science made philosophy obsolete? --Is the soul real? --Do we have a free will? --Why should we be moral? --Does God exist, and if so, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world? --What is the relation between faith and reason? Ric Machuga takes a holistic approach to these questions. No philosophical idea, no matter how small, can live alone. Ideas always gain their force, power, and life from their surroundings--their "ecosystem." The ecosystem of ideas defended in this book comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle and his medieval interpreter, Thomas Aquinas. The ongoing relevance of their philosophical thought to twenty-first century issues is opened up in fascinating ways. Life, the Universe, and Everything is the product of thirty years of teaching introductory courses in philosophy. Assuming no prior background, it only requires of readers an enquiring mind and a willingness to think carefully. An ideal guide to the big questions we face.

Life, the Universe, and Everything: An Aristotelian Philosophy for a Scientific Age

Cascade Books

Is the existence of God a matter of faith or knowledge? Does God sometimes act miraculously or are there physical causes for everything? Is morality absolute or relative? Are humans truly free or does God's sovereignty determine everything? When bad things happen, is God the cause or are they the fault of humans? Too frequently Christians answer these questions with a Yes to one side and a No to the other side. Thomas Aquinas and Karl Barth answer Yes to both. Following their model, Machuga defends a "third way" which transcends the Enlightenment dichotomies of fideism vs. rationalism, supernaturalism vs. naturalism, relativism vs. absolutism, free will vs. predestination, and God's justice vs. his mercy. Machuga begins by showing how these false dichotomies grew out of the Enlightenment assumptions of mechanism, universal quantification, and mono-causation. He then corrects these demonstrably dubious assumptions by articulating a theory of dual-causation. The result is a thoroughly biblical understanding of God, miracles, and free will that can withstand the contemporary criticisms of both science and philosophy.

Three Theological Mistakes: How to Correct Enlightenment Assumptions about God, Miracles, and Free Will

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