The Fundamental Problems of Western Metaphysics

This book introduces the profound reflections of Xavier Zubiri (1898-1983) on the history of philosophy to English-speaking audiences. As a philosopher who rethought much of philosophy and theology, Zubiri felt it necessary to be in continuous dialogue with earlier thinkers both to avoid past mistakes and to extract all that is valuable from them. The theme of the present book is the transcendental in Western philosophy and how a firm grasp of it reveals underlying unity in Western philosophy, but also fundamental problems that Zubiri believed require a complete rethinking of certain basic notions and theories. Zubiri develops this theme by analyzing the work of six major philosophers: Aristotle, St. Thomas, Descartes, Leibniz, Kant, and Hegel. To conclude, he sketches his own resolution of the problems of Western philosophy, a subject addressed in greater depth in his major work, Sentient Intelligence. This translation was made possible by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Culture.

Xavier Zubiri (author, 1898-1983): Contemporary Spanish philosopher who profoundly rethought the problems of philosophy and developed a radically new approach to knowing and reality, termed Sentient Intelligence. His thought synthesizes classical philosophy (Aristotle to St. Thomas) and phenomenology, but goes beyond both. His theological writings utilize this philosophical framework. Jhaquin Redondo (translator, 1927-2009): Longtime scholar and researcher of Zubiri. A native speaker of both Spanish and English, he effectively translated Zubiri's philosophical expressions, often metaphorical, into clear English. He translated four other works by Zubiri, including Man and God, published by University Press of America. Thomas Fowler (translator): President and founder of the Xavier Zubiri Foundation of North America. He translated three other works by Zubiri and is editor of The Xavier Zubiri Review. He serves as adjunct professor at George Mason University, and is the author of The Evolution Controversy, A Survey of Competing Theories. He is a frequent speaker of Zubiri's key ideas at the annual Metanexus Institute conferences on science and religion.