A Comprehensive Introduction to Scholastic Philosophy and Theology

The "radical" thesis of ancient education theory is that one ought to be a Homo unius libri (man of one book). In order to properly form oneself in a discpline, one ought to find a book that is authoritative in that area (in the medieval period, the words of Aristotle for philosophy and the Sentences of Peter Lombard for theology) and master that work.   Jeremy Taylor comments "an understanding entertained with several objects is intent upon neither, and profits not." So also does a mind set upon many books is intent upon none, and profits not.   The goal with this publication is to provide the "one book" that one ought to master at the beginning of his studies. Fr. Coppens provides us with a series that is sufficient for this task: A Brief Text-Book of Logic and Mental Philosophy, A Brief Text-Book of Moral Philosophy, and A Systematic Study of the Catholic Religion.   This collection merely combines these three shorter works under a single cover to provide this "one book" that covers each topic that one must know for further study in a succinct manner.