Sebastian Walshe
Commentary on Aristotle’s Categories
A careful and detailed explanation for modern students
Abstract
Aristotle’s Categories remains one of the foundational works in the history of Philosophy. At the foundations of all human thought and argument is the precise understanding of our words, and in his Categories, Aristotle proves to be a master unsurpassed in providing the tools necessary for defining our words and understanding the things signified by them. Nevertheless, the Categories is a text which is at times obscure and difficult to understand for a modern student. Therefore, we have provided this volume to remedy the difficulties a modern student may have in understanding the Categories. Written in clear style, this line-by-line explanation of the Categories alternates between a universal overview and division of the text and a detailed question and answer format which raises many of the questions modern students have about difficult passages. Liberal use is made also of the ancient Greek and Latin commentators on the Categories.
About the Author
Originally from Pasadena, Fr. Sebastian Walshe is a Norbertine Canon of the Abbey of St. Michael in the Diocese of Orange, California. After completing his studies at the University of California at Irvine in Electrical Engineering (BSEE), Fr. Sebastian worked as a patent agent at an intellectual property law firm in Newport Beach, California. Later, he enrolled at Thomas Aquinas College and, after graduating, continued studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., receiving a license in Philosophy. He joined St. Michael’s Abbey in 1998 and attended the Pontifical University of St. Thomas at Rome (the Angelicum) where he received a Masters in Sacred Theology and a Doctorate in Philosophy. His thesis was entitled: “The Primacy of the Common Good as the Root of Personal Dignity in the Doctrine of St. Thomas Aquinas.” From 2003-2005, Fr. Sebastian was also a visiting professor in the Philosophy Department at the Angelicum. He is currently the Dean of Studies at St. Michael’s Abbey. His publications include The Foundations of Wisdom Series: Logic, Philosophy of Nature, Philosophy of Man, Ethics; St. John the Baptist, Priest, Prophet and Martyr; Secrets from Heaven: the Conversations and Parables of Jesus; Always a Catholic; Heart of the Gospel; Understanding Marriage and Family: A Catholic Perspective and many articles.