The Degrees of Knowledge
by Jacques Maritain · Distinguer pour unir, ou Les degrés du savoir
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1932
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- French
- Length
- Long · 500 pp300 to 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Formidable5 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendDistinguish to Unite, or The Degrees of Knowledge, translated by Gerald B. PhelanUniversity of Notre Dame Press, 1995The translation from the fourth French edition, in the Collected Works of Jacques Maritain.
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Maritain's major work in epistemology, which orders the kinds of human knowledge into a hierarchy. The first part treats the sciences of nature, the philosophy of nature and metaphysics, arguing that each has its own object and method and that critical realism can answer Descartes and Kant. The second part rises to the knowledge of God, through natural theology, faith and finally the mystical experience described by John of the Cross. The subtitle gives the method, to distinguish in order to unite.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Degrees of Knowledge are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
