Abstract
Thomism is the expression applied since the fourteenth century to philosophers whose thinking has its foundations in the thought of St Thomas Aquinas. Neo-Thomism is usually understood to refer to the revival of Thomism which began in the middle of the nineteenth century and was later officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church. It was initiated by Italian professors of philosophy who were dissatisfied with early nineteenth century Italian philosophy and the traditionalist reaction to it. They called for a revival of the study of the philosophy of Thomas. Their aim was not a mere restatement of Thomas’ philosophy, but an accurate understanding of the permanent validity of the principles of Thomas’ philosophy that could be applied to contemporary problems. Although initially in conflict with some leaders of the Church, the movement gained momentum and support from the Church towards the latter part of the nineteenth century. Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, Aeterni Patris (1879), called the Church to a study of philosophy and in particular a study of the doctrines of Thomas Aquinas as a means of addressing contemporary needs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
Joseph W. Evans, ed., Jacques Maritain: The Man and his Achievement (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1963), p. 7.
Jacques Maritain, Distinguish to Unite or The Degrees of Knowledge (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1959), p. ix.
Ibid., p. xii.
Ibid., p. 67.
Ibid., p. 214.
Ibid., p. 225.
Ibid., p. 225.
Anton C. Pegis, ed., A Gilson Reader (Garden City: Hanover House, 1957), p. 187.
Etienne Gilson, God and Philosophy (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1941), p. 67.
Austin Farrer, Finite and Infinite, 2nd edn. (Westminster: Dacre Press, 1964), p. ix.
Austin Farrer, The Glass of Vision (Westminster: Dacre Press, 1958), p. 95.
Ibid., p. 108.
Emerich Coreth, Metaphysics (New York: Herder and Herder, 1968), p. 37.
Ibid., p. 175.
Karl Rahner, Foundations of the Christian Faith (New York: Crossroad, 1984), p. 52. The meaning of the word ‘existential’ is based on Heidegger’s understanding of the basic existentialia of Dasein, the possible ways of being of the being of human existence.
Karl Rahncr, Spirit in the World (New York: Herder and Herder, 1968), p. 58.
Ibid., p. 58.
Ibid., p. 69.
Ibid., p. 393.
Ibid., p. 394.
Ibid., p. 401.
Ibid., p. 408.
Gerald McCool, ed., A Rahner Reader (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1975), pp. 34–35.
Bernard Lonergan, Insight: A Study of Human Understanding (New York: Philosophical Library, 1957), p. ix.
Ibid., p. 273.
Ibid., p. 635.
Ibid., p. 636.
Ibid., p. 670.
Ibid., p. 672.
Ibid., p. 672.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Long, E.T. (2000). Neo-Thomism. In: Twentieth-Century Western Philosophy of Religion 1900–2000. Handbook of Contemporary Philosophy of Religion, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4064-5_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4064-5_16
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-1454-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4064-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive