The "radical" thesis of ancient education theory is that one ought to be a Homo unius libri (man of one book). In order to properly form oneself in a discpline, one ought to find a book that is authoritative in that area (in the medieval period, the words of Aristotle for philosophy and the Sentences of Peter Lombard for theology) and master that work. Ê
Jeremy Taylor comments "an understanding entertained with several objects is intent upon neither, and profits not." So also does a mind set upon many books is intent upon none, and profits not. Ê
The goal with this publication is to provide the "one book" that one ought to master at the beginning of his studies. Fr. Coppens provides us with a series that is sufficient for this task: A Brief Text-Book of Logic and Mental Philosophy, A Brief Text-Book of Moral Philosophy, and A Systematic Study of the Catholic Religion. Ê
This collection merely combines these three shorter works under a single cover to provide this "one book" that covers each topic that one must know for further study in a succinct manner.