summary of The Philosophy of Being in the Analytic, Continental, and Thomistic Traditions by Joseph P. Li Vecchi:

Joseph P. Li Vecchi’s The Philosophy of Being in the Analytic, Continental, and Thomistic Traditions is a rigorous comparative study that investigates how different philosophical traditions grapple with the most fundamental question of all: what it means “to be.” Li Vecchi traces the treatment of being across three major streams of modern philosophy—analytic philosophy, continental philosophy, and the Thomistic tradition rooted in the thought of Thomas Aquinas—highlighting their shared concerns, divergences, and possible points of dialogue. The analytic tradition, with its focus on logical clarity, linguistic analysis, and metaphysical precision, tends to approach being in terms of existence, reference, and ontology, often reducing the question to matters of semantics and logic. The continental tradition, by contrast, influenced by thinkers such as Heidegger, Sartre, and Derrida, emphasizes the existential, phenomenological, and historical dimensions of being, seeing it as a lived and dynamic reality that resists full conceptualization. Thomistic philosophy, building on Aristotle and Aquinas, provides a metaphysical framework where being (esse) is understood as the fundamental act grounding all essences, integrating theological and philosophical insights into a comprehensive vision. Li Vecchi argues that despite their differences, these traditions are not incommensurable but can be placed in constructive dialogue, each offering correctives and contributions to the others. By carefully analyzing representative figures, arguments, and debates, he demonstrates how the analytic concern for rigor, the continental sensitivity to experience and history, and the Thomistic metaphysical depth together enrich our understanding of being. Ultimately, the book serves both as a map of 20th- and 21st-century debates about ontology and as a call for cross-traditional engagement, showing that the question of being remains central to philosophy and is best approached through a plurality of perspectives rather than within the confines of a single school.