This book is a history of philosophy that is not a history of philosophy. Brown shows how major figures in modern philosophy have restricted or reduced reason to some one function. A surprising quartet of philosophers can help us to recover a fuller appreciation of reason, but reason finds its fullest realization in the ancient and mediaeval tradition of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas. From this tradition, Brown makes the compelling case that reason's uses in speculative philosophy, in morality, and in aesthetics are irreducibly distinct yet the products of one human capacity. Like Gilson, Brown uses figures in the history of philosophy, not for the writing of history, but for the doing of philosophy."--Steven E. Baldner, St. Francis Xavier University.

Originally published in 1983 under the title The Restitution of Man; reissued with new foreword and afterword.

THIS IS NO TIME TO RUN AND HIDE America seems to be crumbling from within. Having abandoned the Judeo-Christian values that are the foundation of its culture, our nation, in the eyes of many, is going the way of the great civilizations of the past. If our 250-year experiment in ordered liberty has really run its course, is it time to recognize the inevitable, pack up our families, and head for the hills, hunkering down through the dark days to come? Or is there hope for an American restoration? Tim Goeglein and Craig Osten, battle-hardened veterans of the culture wars, know as well as anyone that the decadence is undeniable. But they make the case that an American restoration is not only possible, but probable—if we act now. The key is for Christians to engage with the culture, not flee from it, to be the salt and light that will renew it from within. That engagement must take place especially at the local level, where real spiritual and cultural transformation occurs. If America returns to its spiritual foundations, the tumultuous times we live in will be nothing more than a bumpy detour in our nation’s history. This book is a roadmap for the way back. In this clear-eyed but hopeful guide to restoration, Goeglein and Osten explain how patriotic Americans, with God’s help, can renew fifteen critical components of our culture. Government will not provide the solutions we desperately need. The solutions lie in our churches, our communities, and our homes. The light for our path is faith. As that light pierces the darkness, America will experience a reawakening, regeneration, and renewal.