Thomism Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Published in Grandi Opere del Tomismo nel Novecento, a cura di Serge-Thomas Bonino, Urbaniana University Press, Città del Vaticano 2020, 195-202 (Quaderni di Doctor Communis 1).

The capability of traditional Scholastic ethics to guide contemporary man in all his complexities has been called into question when Secular Humanism and, subsequently, Postmodernism have redirected attention from human acts to the agent... more

The capability of traditional Scholastic ethics to guide contemporary man in all his complexities has been called into question when Secular Humanism and, subsequently, Postmodernism have redirected attention from human acts to the agent person himself. While Secular Humanism has led to the advancement of science,and Postmodernism has instilled a resilient attitude in dealing with the issues of Modernism, the conceptual independence required in these philosophies and their corollary intellectual scientism has, at the same time, downgraded reliance on holistic and integrative knowledge, leading to a denial of the roles of faith, tradition, and authority in man's conceptual development. Karol Wojtyla's Personalism and Phenomenology emphasizes the primacy of the person without degrading the values inherent in action. Wojtyla's philosophy has bridged the ideals of traditional moral teachings with present-day pluralistic experiences when he situated freedom in the ego and when he grounded habit into the inner experience of man, rather than in character. With such freedom and self-determination, vertical transcendence becomes both experiential and personal. In this paper, I venture into how Wojtyla's thought has enhanced Thomistic philosophy by presenting an exposition of the various elements of The Acting Person vis-à-vis the discussions of the Angelic Doctor on parallel issues.

It is frequently charged by critics of classical Christian theism that its core tenets are incompatible with the doctrine of the Incarnation. This accusation is plausible so long as one is compelled to hold either that the divine Word... more

It is frequently charged by critics of classical Christian theism that its core tenets are incompatible with the doctrine of the Incarnation. This accusation is plausible so long as one is compelled to hold either that the divine Word subtracted something from himself in assuming a human nature or added something to himself. But contrary to widespread recent opinion, subtraction and addition are not the only options. Thomas Aquinas, among others, repudiates both these approaches, expounding instead a doctrine of terminative assumption. Termination eludes the liabilities of subtraction and addition by requiring neither privation of being nor passive potency in the divine Word in order to account for his becoming man. If terminative assumption is the correct way to understand the Word's assumption of a human nature, then classical theism is not in conflict with the doctrine of the Incarnation.

This is the (earlier) electronically-submitted version of my M.Th. thesis, wherein I explore the question of whether a Eucharistic consecration in sign language is valid. I explore the question from both a systematic (emphasising... more

This is the (earlier) electronically-submitted version of my M.Th. thesis, wherein I explore the question of whether a Eucharistic consecration in sign language is valid. I explore the question from both a systematic (emphasising Aquinas) and dogmatic (emphasising the dogmatic canons) perspective to arrive at the conclusion that 'sound' or 'utterance' lends no force to validity, but rather the force of sacramental validity inheres in the faith proclaimed by the Church that is expressed in the sacramental, and therefore Eucharistic, form.

In this article from 1973, Congar articulates the persistent value of Thomas Aquinas’s hermeneutical approaches to authoritative texts and teach- ings for advancing the work of ecumenism. Appearing initially in a French Dominican journal... more

In this article from 1973, Congar articulates the persistent value of Thomas Aquinas’s hermeneutical approaches to authoritative texts and teach- ings for advancing the work of ecumenism. Appearing initially in a French Dominican journal (“Valeur et portée œcuméniques de quelques principes herméneutiques de saint Thomas d’Aquin,” Revue des sciences philosophiques et théologiques 57 [1973]: 611–26), the article was selected by Congar for inclusion in his collection of essays titled Thomas d’Aquin: sa vision de théologie et de l’Eglise (London: Variorum Reprints, 1984). This translation, undertaken by an Orthodox layman and a Domini- can friar, is offered as a testament to the persistent value of the work of Congar (as well as Aquinas) for the contemporary ecumenical endeavors of the Church.

Scholarly attention to Pierre Rousselot's writings has tended to focus upon interpreting his work systematically, with little attention paid to the thinker’s Jesuit context or experience. The current study seeks to broaden the discussion... more

Scholarly attention to Pierre Rousselot's writings has tended to focus upon interpreting his work systematically, with little attention paid to the thinker’s Jesuit context or experience. The current study seeks to broaden the discussion on Rousselot by reading his doctoral dissertations, ‘Pour l’histoire du problème d’amour au moyen âge’ and ‘L’Intellectualisme de Saint Thomas’ against the backdrop of Saint Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises and the writings of two contemporary interpreters of the retreat, Fathers René de Maumigny, S.J. and Georges Longhaye, S.J., who were influential in shaping the spiritual ethos of Rousselot's community. The analysis suggests that Rousselot's Thomistic thought strongly reflects the Jesuit spiritual practice of his day. In interpreting the Spiritual Exercises, Rousselot’s community made use of the language of the soul’s faculties within a participatory framework guided by the major themes of creation, sacrifice, personal salvation, and order in the First Principle and Foundation of the Spiritual Exercises. Rousselot creatively adopted the broad contours, distinctive emphases, and language of this vision in his major and minor dissertations, which formed a unified project that determined much of the young Jesuit’s subsequent work.

My senior thesis, written in order to graduate from Thomas Aquinas College, on the relation between Thomas Aquinas’s notion of beauty to art and knowledge. Passed written examination and oral defense “With Distinction” - highest honors... more

My senior thesis, written in order to graduate from Thomas Aquinas College, on the relation between Thomas Aquinas’s notion of beauty to art and knowledge. Passed written examination and oral defense “With Distinction” - highest honors possible.

Jeremy Corbyn in the summer of 2015 declared that he wanted to create a “new politics” and offer authentic change to the British Labour Party post the New Labour era under Blair and Brown. In this paper I assess the political philosophy... more

Jeremy Corbyn in the summer of 2015 declared that he wanted to create a “new politics” and offer authentic change to the British Labour Party post the New Labour era under Blair and Brown. In this paper I assess the political philosophy of Jeremy Corbyn against that of the anti-New Labour Blue Labour movement, which proclaims itself to be Labour’s “radical tradition”. Blue Labour like the Red Tory tradition of Philip Blond is rooted in the anti-modernist Radical Orthodoxy movement that rejects the rationalisation and disenchantment of the world and its offshoots, particularly the political philosophy of liberalism (in both its economic and social dimensions). Although there is a definite sympathy with the anti-capitalism of Corbyn with regards to the economy, there is concern that his statism is ultimately liberal. Blue Labour argues that the alleviation of society’s ills would be best served through the adoption and application of Catholic Social Thought (CST), which rejects the liberal atomistic conception of human beings abstracted from their broader communities. To change to a more “relational” conception of humanity, as Blue Labour’s advocates argue, would have the potential to create far more positive radical change for our social and economic relationships than merely depending on state intervention as the left has historically done in the pursuit of equality.

The author first explains wisdom and its importance to moral philosophy. Secondly, he follows with a consideration of the nature of things and the soul as told by Lucretius. Then he presents a brief summary on St. Thomas understanding of... more

The author first explains wisdom and its importance to moral philosophy. Secondly, he follows with a consideration of the nature of things and the soul as told by Lucretius. Then he presents a brief summary on St. Thomas understanding of soul and how his faculty psychology is a superior explanation of moral philosophy. The author concludes by showing how Lucretius’ ethical system fails and to attain true happiness we must take up a faculty psychology aimed at virtue and the perfection of the soul, the principle form of the human person.

Historia del Centro Tomista del Litoral Argentino, estructurado en torno de la discusión universitaria. "Si yo hiciese una propuesta para la reforma de la universidad hoy en día, sería la de reinstitucionalizar el viejo método medieval... more

Historia del Centro Tomista del Litoral Argentino, estructurado en torno de la discusión universitaria.
"Si yo hiciese una propuesta para la reforma de la universidad hoy en día, sería la de reinstitucionalizar el viejo método medieval de la disputatio como un elemento obligatorio de la vida universitaria" (J. Pieper)

This is a short presentation on Yves Simon's discussion in his Philosophy of Democratic Government, concerning how the advancement of technological progress which characterized the twentieth century and has carried into the twenty-first... more

This is a short presentation on Yves Simon's discussion in his Philosophy of Democratic Government, concerning how the advancement of technological progress which characterized the twentieth century and has carried into the twenty-first introduces many new obstacles to the maintenance of a democratic society, particularly in the training of human beings for living freely.

Sommario Il Tomismo offre un accesso privilegiato ad una feconda analisi dell'esperienza pratica, oltre che una metafisica della persona e del diritto, ponendosi in una prospettiva più ampia e comprensiva della New Natural Law Theory oggi... more

Sommario Il Tomismo offre un accesso privilegiato ad una feconda analisi dell'esperienza pratica, oltre che una metafisica della persona e del diritto, ponendosi in una prospettiva più ampia e comprensiva della New Natural Law Theory oggi criticata da autori tra loro diversi come Villey e McInerny. Finnis e altri autori che si ispirano al medesimo paradigma interpretativo presentano il loro approccio neoclassico al diritto naturale individuando sette beni fondamentali. Questi beni primari, indeducibili e indimostrabili, sono le condizioni per la realizzazione degli individui. Il diritto deve garantire la realizzazione dei piani di vita degli uomini connessi e ispirati da questi sette beni, traducendo in norme giuridiche alcune norme morali inderogabili. Alcuni allievi di Finnis come Schwartz, elaborando il concetto di amicitia in Tommaso, hanno oltrepassato il paradigma del maestro, declinando l'amicitia come relazione fondamentale che un bene che connette gli uomini tra loro al di là dell'utile. Per l'Aquinate, come nell'epoca classica, ius significa ciò che è iustum e quindi anche bonum e proprio per questo rappresenta una restrizione al potere che privo di una concezione condivisibile di bene è arbitrario.
Abstract
Thomistic Metaphysics and Virtue Ethics together provide a fruitful analysis of practical experience and is situated within a broader and more comprehensive context than the New Natural Law Theory, the latter being criticized by authors as divergent as Villey and McInerny. Finnis and the other authors influenced by the same interpretative paradigm present their neoclassical accounts of the natural rights by identifying seven fundamental goods. These primary goods, undeducible and undemonstrable, are the conditions for individual flourishing. Positive Law provides the warrant for the fulfillment of human life-plans which are connected to and inspired by these seven goods, while translating certain undeniable moral norms to juridical norms. a brilliant Finnis's pupil like Schwartz, while elaborating on the Thomas's concept of amicitia, surpassed the paradigm of their mentor, postulating amicitia as the foundational relationship and a good which connects people beyond that which is merely utile. For Aquinas, and all the classical period, ius means that which is iustum and thus also
bonum and hence that which represents a restriction to power, which may become arbitrary if deprived of a common conception of the good.

While there is an absence of treatises devoted to the question of ens ut primum cognitum, there is no shortage of brief and implicit treatments; indeed, nearly every Thomist of the past seven centuries seems to have at least something to... more

While there is an absence of treatises devoted to the question of ens ut primum cognitum, there is no shortage of brief and implicit treatments; indeed, nearly every Thomist of the past seven centuries seems to have at least something to say about the notion that being is the first of our intellectual conceptions. Most recent Thomist thinkers—including Gilson—assume this ens to be nothing other than the ens reale of things entitatively considered, operating as they do out of a framework within which realism and idealism are presumed to be exhaustive and mutually exclusive attempts to answer the question of human knowledge. It is the intent of this essay to examine how Gilson arrives at his position, which he calls “metaphysical realism,” and to point to some of the difficulties it entails.

Est-il possible, à partir de rien, de constituer en peu de temps un centre d'études chargé de fournir à sa province d'érection les dominicains fidèles à leur vocation dont elle a besoin et les enseignants chargés de faire s'accomplir... more

Est-il possible, à partir de rien, de constituer en peu de temps un centre d'études chargé de fournir à sa province d'érection les dominicains fidèles à leur vocation dont elle a besoin et les enseignants chargés de faire s'accomplir cette vocation ? A voir l'histoire ballotée du studium de Saint-Maximin, de sa reconstitution effective avec comme régent le P. Pègues, aux premières années d'exercice de la régence du P. Labourdette, rien n'est moins sûr. C'est qu'en effet deux points font obstacle : des problèmes structurels, parfois révélés ou accentués par des événements imprévus ; une interrogation latente sur l'enseignement à dispenser.

I am planning a history of the notion of philosophical nonsense and naturally difficult historical and exegetical questions have come up. Charles Pigden has argued that the notion goes back at least as far as Hobbes and that Locke,... more

I am planning a history of the notion of philosophical nonsense and naturally difficult historical and exegetical questions have come up. Charles Pigden has argued that the notion goes back at least as far as Hobbes and that Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant (on some interpretations) and pragmatists such as William James, as well as numerous Twentieth-Century philosophers make use of it. In this ‘paper’ I put forward for general discussion such questions as whether Hobbes was the first 'nonsensicalist', whether Kant was a 'nonsensicalist' at all, which philosophers if any have considered contradictions to be meaningless and whether Wittgenstein thought that his concept of criterion could legitimately be used verificationistically. I shall continue to add further questions as they occur to me.

This paper is a review of the book: Anna A. Terruwe and Conrad W. Baars, Psychic Wholeness and Healing (Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf and Stock, 2016, 2nd edition). According to the author, the book shows (1) how Thomistic thought can be applied to... more

This paper is a review of the book: Anna A. Terruwe and Conrad W. Baars, Psychic Wholeness and Healing (Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf and Stock, 2016, 2nd edition). According to the author, the book shows (1) how Thomistic thought can be applied to both psychoanalytic theories and practical psychological and spiritual issues, and (2) what role is possible for religion to play in reinvigorating psychoanalysis.

Pope Francis has remarked that acedia-a condition long referred to as "the noontime devil" in the Western monastic tradition-is the great sin of the modern age. As scientific advancement continues to exponentially increase against our... more

Pope Francis has remarked that acedia-a condition long referred to as "the noontime devil" in the Western monastic tradition-is the great sin of the modern age. As scientific advancement continues to exponentially increase against our incremental understandings of self, the distance between our material capability and our spiritual refinement has created a gap challenging Western understandings of faith, culture, suffering, and human freedom. This paper will explore these challenges in the light of Schelling's commentaries on human freedom and Kierkegaard's discourse on modernist society, specifically with an eye towards Pope Francis' re-introduction of the works of Romano Guardini to the Catholic world.

Throughout his writings, Thomas Aquinas exhibited a remarkable stability of thought. However, in some areas such as his theology of grace, his thought underwent titanic developments. In this book, Justin M. Anderson traces both those... more

Throughout his writings, Thomas Aquinas exhibited a remarkable stability of thought. However, in some areas such as his theology of grace, his thought underwent titanic developments. In this book, Justin M. Anderson traces both those developments in grace and their causes. After introducing the various meanings of virtue Aquinas utilized, including'virtue in its fullest sense'and various forms of'qualified virtue', he explores the historical context that conditioned that account. Through a close analysis of his writings, Anderson unearths Aquinas's own discoveries and analyses that would propel his understanding of human experience, divine action, and supernatural grace in new directions. In the end, we discover an account of virtue that is inextricably linked to his developed understanding of sin, grace and divine action in human life. As such, Anderson challenges the received understanding of Aquinas's account of virtue, as well as his relationship to contemporary virtue ethics.