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Title

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Description

An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent (commonly abbreviated to the last three words) is John Henry Newman's seminal book on the philosophy of faith. Completed in 1870, Newman revealed to friends that it took him 20 years to write the book. Newman's aim was to show that the scientific standards for evidence and assent are too narrow and inapplicable in concrete life. He argued that logic and its conclusions are not transferable to real life decision making as such. As a result, it is inappropriate to judge the validity of assent in concrete faith by conventional logical standards because paper logic is unequal to the task. "Logic is loose at both ends," he said, meaning that the process of logic initially depends on restrictive assumptions and is thus unable to fit its conclusions neatly into real world situations.

Identifier

BR100_N4_1870

Call Number

BR100 N4 1870

Collection

Published Works

Creator

Newman, John Henry, Cardinal, 1801-1890

Date

1870-00-00

Edition

6th Edition

Publisher

New York : Catholic Publication Society

Physical Description

viii, 479 p. 20 cm.

Page Count

506

Location

e-resource|National Institute for Newman Studies Pittsburgh

Type

Text

Content Type

Book

Subject

Faith|Theism

Language

English

Authors & Recipients
Author profile picture

Newman, John Henry, Cardinal, 1801-1890

John Henry Newman stands as a giant in the fields of theology, philosophy, and education. Influencing many academic and spiritual disciplines, Newman's writings and his lifelong search for religious truth continue to inspire scholars throughout the world. Newman started his public life as a fellow of Oriel College and, soon after, as Vicar of St. Mary the Virgin Church in Oxford, England. He was a leader of the Oxford Movement which began in 1833. A prominent member of the Church of England for the first half of his life, he converted to Roman Catholicism in 1845. Two years later, Newman founded the first English-speaking Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham, England. In 1851, Newman undertook the founding of the Catholic University of Ireland in Dublin. He was made a cardinal of the Catholic Church in 1879. His many scholarly works have remained a significant force.

Events in Newman's lifeEvents in the UKEvents in the wider world
  • Death of Bishop Grant at the Vatican Council.
  • Declaration of Papal Infallibility.
  • Vatican Council adjourned due to the seizure of the Papal States.
  • Publication of 'An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent'.
  • Completion of the Ordnance Survey of England.
  • Establishment of the British Red Cross.
  • Opening of Keble College, Oxford.
  • Death of Charles Dickens.
  • Third French Republic proclaimed.
  • YMCA established in New York.
  • Construction begins on the Brooklyn Bridge, New York.
  • Rome annexed by Italy, surrender of Pope Pius IX to King Victor Emmanuel ending the reign of the Papal States.
  • Federal holidays Act passed in America.

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