Cotter aims to introduce Catholic philosophy with brevity, plain and direct presentation, close-knit reasoning and logical coherence. Straying away from exhaustive treatises and going instead with a scholastic approach, his goal for his work to be easily digested by philosophical beginners is achieved. He chooses this approach in accordance with his belief in the clear distinction between Catholic faith and scholastic philosophy; the former can exist without the latter. But only scholastic philosophy is in complete harmony with Catholic faith; it alone has been approved as such by the magisterium of the Catholic Church, and is prescribed for those who would advance to the study of Catholic theology.