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EDUCATION
Under
the Auspices of the Aristotelian Society
of Marquette University
BY
fiTIENNE GILSON
of
the
Academie
frangaise,
Professor
of
the
PRESS
Gerard Smith,
S.J.,
censor deputatus
imprimatur
IjlMoyses E. Kiley
Archiepiscopus Milwaukiensis
Milwaukiae, die
COPYRIGHT 1948
BY THE ARISTOTELIAN SOCIETY OF MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY
To
A. C. Pegis
PREFATORY
The
Aristotelian Society of Marquette
a lecture in honor of
St.
Thomas
day of the
are
patron
saint,
these
lectures
called the
Aquinas
lectures.
Vernon Bourke
de-
"St.
Thomas and
whose
duties
the
do
on the customary
date,
to
give another
It
fall.
now
has the
Academie
Etienne Henri
13,
Gilson was
bom
June
1884
at Paris.
He
At
the Sorbonne he
was
a pupil of Lucien
Levy-Bruhi
who
from Scholasticism,
to St.
work
He was
also a pupil,
"whose main
in
my memory
as so
many hours
and
of
intellectual transfiguration,"
calls
whom
he
he ever had.
In 1913 he taught at the University of
Lille.
During the
first
machine-gunnery
captain
the
French
German
prisoner of war
camp
of Strasbourg.
In 1921 he returned to
and
re-
mained there
until 1932
when he was
elect-
He
is
now
Pro-
Middle Ages
which he
1939 was
a co-founder
and which
in
He
narily,
fall
and returns
lec-
Gifford Lectures at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland; in 1936-37 he gave the Wil-
Virginia,
and
in 1940, the
Mahlon Powell
He
is
du Moyen-
Me die vale,
35 volumes since
Studies, of
Professor Gilson
is
member
of the
Academy of
St.
Thomas Aquinas
Rome.
He
has
received
many honorary
de-
grees: Doctor
of Letters (D.Litt.)
from Ox-
from
of Montreal.
He
lic
is
Institute, president
Authors
at Paris, a
member
of the Se-
lectured in
Rome.
Professor Gilson entered the Conseil de
la
He was
same
text of
and
text.
fol-
Alcan,
Out of
et la theologie,
print.
Col-
de
de Strasbourg, Strasbourg,
291 pages. Out of print.
1921,
v'm and
La
'Philosophie
de Saint Bonaventure,
edition, 1943,
483 pages;
ed under the
title
Bonaventure, Sheed
1938,
xiii
&
Ward,
New
York,
1st edi-
tion 1925,
text 78,
com-
Saint
moralists
Paris,
Chretiens) texts
Ga-
ed under the
title
St.
Moral
Life,
Louis
&
London, Herder,
Etudes sur
le role
de la pensee medtevale
cartesien, Paris,
vol.,
title
of
The
New
484 pages.
Paris,
Les Idees
et
les
Lettres,
Vrin,
Paris,
Desclee
La Theologie mystique de
Paris, Vrin, 1934,
Saint Bernard,
der the
title
St.
Bernard,
New
York, Sheed
&
Ward,
1940,
264 pages.
Saint
Proceed-
XXI, Lon-
don,
Humphrey
Le Realisme methodique,
1936, 101 pages.
der the
title
New York,
Sheed
& Ward,
New
Present
New
York, Sheed
&
Ward,
1937, 22
in
the Middle
lectures of 1937)
New
Helo'ise
et
252 pages.
Realisme thomiste
et critique
de la con-
Dante
et
la
philosophie,
Paris,
Vrin,
God and
tures of 1940)
Press,
lec-
New
Introduction a
Paris,
l'
Vrin,
1st
edition,
and 352
La Philosophie an moyen-age,
Payot, 2nd
edition, 1944,
Paris,
de
la spiritualite,
27 pages.
Le Thomisme,
Paris, Vrin,
5th edition
of The Philosophy of
St.
St.
Thomas
Aquinas,
Philosophic
et
Augustin
(Conference
Albert
le
Grand,
is
sched-
New
York, in 1948.
To
THE
the
entails
very
name
of philosophy means
love
is
of wisdom.
to
To
philoso-
phize, then,
ethical
requirements;
for
indeed no
time,
man
can, at
such ways of
incompatible with
philosophical thinking.
its
very nature,
a philosopher's life
a constant effort to
acquire wisdom.
wisdom? According
it
to
its
classical definition,
is
the
knowledge of
first
the
first
principles
it
and of the
causes.
Of
course,
many
man knows
first
all
and the
causes.
as to
We
some experience
what
we know
we remember
them, and
we remember
and unnecessary
tellect thus
details.
in-
principles
knowledge
to
wisdom. As a matter of
has already
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
found wisdom,
at least in part,
while await-
principles
and the
first
causes
their light.
If
this
be
true,
philosophy
is
less
knowledge than
suit
ly,
wisdom.
It is a
why
I
wholly
task
the
of
men
from time
to time, that
And
they are, in
own
way, inasmuch
as,
through a long
amount of
reflexion,
they
have reached
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
AND
whereas a philosopher's
life is
dom.
If
one
is
a philosopher,
he can do
or,
it
if
he
he will do
with a
view
to securing the
I
philosophizing.
if,
hope
you
the better to
I
make
clear
what
have in
mind,
may
thing.
philosophy
ion; but
reer
is
it
may help
philosophical reflexif
same
formulas,
and
this
To
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
truly great philosopher, teaching
is
a nui-
him, of
all positions,
the
to earn a living
with
damage
to his true
is
philosophical
life.
While he
teaching,
he
is
least,
he
is
Such
ophy
as
little
as
possible.
calls
This
is
what
aliis
Thomas Aquinas
tradere.
contemplata
Yet,
to act,
when
all is said
and done,
is
to to
teach
is
whereas
to philosophize
man
is
but the
these
their
life,
two
lives
Even
It is
one
and
it
is
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
AND
the year.
philosophy in
his cele-
brated
Consciousness.
teach his pupils
perall
would
have failed
how-
been, he
may
point of
who have seen copy-books of his college lectures, know that his course was pretty much the same as
fact,
that of
ophy.
It
requirements
official
French
program.
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
tion to philosophy indeed; but there
were
many
same
thing. It
to publish such a
since, as a phi-
own name,
had very
little to
do with
it. I
who
in
those
Bergson was.
"A wonderafter a
ful one,"
"But, of course,
we
is
did not
know he was
to
Bergson." That
professor of philosophy
also a philosopher,
may happen
as such in
be
He
is
a philosopher, not
when
he
is
of solitude
when he
is
speaking to himself
meditation.
own
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
This
raises a rather
AND
puzzling problem
for those
who want
still
it.
to study philosophy
and perhaps
it is
more
for those
is
whose work
the occupa-
to teach
If
philosophy
how
can
it
be learned or
Should
we
how
can
it
be
learned or taught at
According to what
we
said a
is
moment
dom
a personal affair. If
wisdom
its
is
to
be your
then
quest must
that
be your
teacher
it is
The
and
fact
tells
your
truth
you what
it
know
too;
when you
do,
as
may be
knows
who
intel-
knows
it
through his
own
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
lect,
so
that,
ultimately,
he
is
his
own
teacher.
Such
is,
as
believe, the
meaning of
St.
Augustine's
clusion
is
De
Magistro, a
work whose
conelse
that
anything.
too
good
to
be
at
true. If
it
were
would
They
when one
of
them does, he
one;
so
that,
at
happens
as
doing something.
And what
what
they do can
completing
St.
Augustine
us,
can
yet
make
least,
se-
his
10
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
concepts and his
AND
own
own
judgments, a
rise to similar
and
similar
judgments
in
the
minds of
his pupils.
is
What
pupils learn
from
their teachers
what they
say.
This
is
where
St.
own
may
finally eliminated.
When
in
a teacher has at
his his
length
succeeded
to
making
thought clear
pupils,
one or several of
his
own own
intel-
own
How,
then,
is
philosophy?
We
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
good ways of teaching philosophy
are
11
as there
however
are
ways may
be, if they
all
is
good
professors, their
at the
ways are
good.
moment
is
with a
can
what
is
good
for
But,
in
the end,
and even
to try
approaches
try
to
philosophy,
at a time;
he
could
still
and
is
that
it is,
or at least
to philosophy.
Our
what
is
this best
be,
it
we
consider
as better than
any other
12
One
own
son
To
a
this ques-
the
philosopher
made
let
surprising
answer.
He
him read my
own
works; he said:
it
philosophy as
is
by taking
whole course
in
ginning to end.
Now we know
Cursus
philosophiae,
Compendium
Summa
such
a
whatever
its
name,
book
is
When
point of view of
Thomas Aquinas,
becomes
Com-
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
cases,
13
works of
this
kind purport to be so
or,
many
if
"Introductions to Philosophy,"
more
clear sighted
and more
many
"Initiations to
The
striking suc-
would be
unintelligible
if it
does.
When
try,
to
show him
map. This
it is
but
the best
to be
still
is
both maps
of,
and guides
the
to,
what
for beginners
unknown country
It
of philosophy.
folly to act otherwise.
would be sheer
first
In the
who
study
philosophy
become
if
philosophers.
What
else
do they need
it
not to be
in-
formed, be
in a superficial
way, about
14
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
nature,
its
AND
their cor-
its
rect
to
whom
way
on
the
later
it
having entered
in the
same way.
start
No
beginner should be
asked to
from
scratch, as
though phi-
what we want
to
do
is
to teach philosit
not.
No work
of
Thomas
in
when he wrote
from being
is
his philo-
was very
far
our
own
day,
innumerable commentaries on
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
St.
15
intended as so
introductions to the
own
works.
Such
similar
oneswhich
or, if
not these,
prompted
scholastic
enemy of
a
philosophy
to
recommend
complete
one that
today.
it
to give even
Where
does
this lead
whom
they to
we should now be
interested.
Were
16
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
AND
we answer
how
should
them?
we might
the time
a
more
apply
to
those
specialized
books that deal with the particular problems which interest him.
far
Now
am
very
from finding
gogical method.
The only
question which
concerns
me
is,
And
can imagine
is
who hold
such a
way of
satisfactory
and
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
essentially
17
similar
to
other
sciences
and
same way.
Is
same
object, rationally
are,
for in-
and
rea-
biology.
And one
what
son philosophy,
if it is
a science,
should not
is
to say,
through introits
ducing beginners to
ods and
its
its
problems,
meth-
present conclusions.
The
what sense
the
is
such a
pedagogical method
teach the sciences?
proper way to
is:
to
made up
You
can learn
18
ing your thus acquired learning by conducting suitable experiments in the laboratory,
fitted to
become? Perhaps
useful engineer, or a
good professor of
learned
man
a
scientist,
may may
well
know
all
be scholars,
So,
we may come
to
know
a great deal
about the physics or the philosophy of our time without necessarily being either
physicists or philosophers.
As with
intro-
come
to
an end.
at all,
is
What
then begins,
if it is
to begin
a really
new
experience, something
as radically different
be-
fore
it
literature
different
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
speare.
to
19
Not merely
become a philosopher,
what
is
now
at stake. It
losophy as a science;
dom
itself, to
which
it is
same
rela-
tion as a
body
to its soul.
Then
begin-
rather looks
call
answering the
am
tion of
some powerful
One cannot
create in
20
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
AND
The
difference,
however, which
to
am
trying to describe
is less
be found
in
some
in
its
mind than
and personal
truth.
appropriation
the
of philosophical
In
mind of
man born
to the philosophi-
other, be
it
logical
sequence, as they
first
time in
demands
fall
many
pieces of a cleverly
would
rather say
an organic whole,
life
and
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
the spiritual food offered to the laws of
its
it,
21
according to
own
inner development.
destined to be great or
Whether he be
to
file,
philosopher
still
to
grow.
this
He
still
needs to be taught,
not
phize.
if
And who
who
a
will
be
for
companion
of
problems, then,
this
is
man,
and
far
from
and
Very large
Patagonia ?
his
Not
own Socrates, nor every Aristotle his own Plato. During the whole French eigh-
22
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
AND
philosopher.
Nor
Is
required be-
If in
order to
how
to walk,
we need
to
follow some-
it is
useless for us
who
can show us
how
to
do
the
to
it,
down
hard
director
cases
of con-
no
where the
among our
infinitely
harder
still
so
much
many
a discovery
abso-
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
23
at
hand,
if
not in the
and since
we
Of
what
diflfer-
ence
is
it
had already
is
and non-being
not;
and
friendship,
is
because
without
justice
friendship
ship justice
is sterile.
Of
moment
own
contemporaries
us look
need.
we
Perhaps he
is
24
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
tell
AND
we
us to
Why
should
No
it is
intelligible relation
between
in the past;
understood,
it is
in the pres-
This
is
which the
his-
ophy allow
not,
come
in.
Many do
justification. I
not to
know
what other
what
man
should think
will say
but the
common
and
dead bury
Yet there
is
more
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
serious objection. It
is
25
many
centuries
is
now
said
nothing so
foolish
who
hated
quoting
this saying;
amounts
to noth-
Now,
to
teach philosophy
is,
something very
different;
should be noth-
Perhaps
it
might be useful
to
quote
itself in
such a for-
we know that Spinoza and Hegel were wrong, why should we let the
If
We
26
this
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
AND
is
may
it is
be,
one thing
at least
certain,
and
not
but
breed philosophical
scepticism.
Thus
on a
sea
mind
to give
it
up
as a
bad
job.
objections as
weak
or irrelevant.
They
are
much
not
ours.
They
derive
their
whose
results
such a science,
and since
it
way
to
do
it
is
the
way
matic way.
If a
is
man
knows what
true
and what
not true in
it.
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
As
a matter of fact,
I
27
many
suppose
we would
is
all
to teach
is
to
It
would be a very
introduce young
to
minds
to
derstand or,
if
are defenseless
as
we
all
business at hand,
we
always right.
But
this is
not at
all
our problem.
is
What
we
are
now
looking for
a master, a com-
own
philosophi-
we
fail to
find
one
in the present
we have
to turn to
the past.
poeta,
when
who
28
We
do not need
to
go
as far
back
Thomas Aquinas.
at
Yet,
long
last,
where
do we find him
can
tory
not in history?
And how
his-
we approach
?
Here, as
believe,
is
all
cases.
After
looking for help, some one reaches the conclusion that the best thing to do
is
apply to
Thomas Aquinas. He
ciple of
tent a Thomist.
how
does he
know
that
he
is
Thomist?
his first
"I
know
am
Thomist
is is
am
in
written in a
book
which philosophy
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
taught ad
29
Aquinatis."
And
then,
the answer
may happen
to
be right, but
his
how
does he
know
that
what
of
book
describes as
the philosophy
Thomas
Thomas'
Aquinas
is
a faithful rendering of
own thought?
make
sure
is
way
to
to
those of
as
Thomas Aquinas
you find
True enough,
history
is
know
is
truth,
is
to
know
if
says
is
true,
what you
must know
says.
is
what Thomas
it
Aquinas actually
Nor would
what
is
do
to
in the
book
true,
Aquinas said
simply
or
not;
for
this
would
mean
that
disciple of
30
ly
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
using his name.
that he
is
AND
No
philosopher can
know
be an historian.
This
first
conclusion
it
is
rich in
many
imto
plications,
which
would be tedious
man who can tell us exactly what Thomas Aquinas has said, is Thomas Aquinas himself. In order to know what he said we must read
enumerate. For indeed, the only
his works.
ing to
all probabilities,
Once v/e
what
some
Now,
if
we have made up
our minds
Thomas Aquinas found the true road wisdom, we need to know where his
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
road
lies.
31
We
in a
some one
that
he
is
yet always
wondering where he
still
is.
It is
hard task
to find him, a
to lose him,
and
it is
No
wonder
to
that so
many philosophers
it.
decline
Why should
is
they?
companion, no guide.
My
only point
that
no
and
name
of their guide
is
Thomas
Aquinas.
after
That probis
lem
to
is
to
know why,
if
Thomas Aquinas
it
and no
one
Now
let
us see what
may
actually
32
Dhi Thomae
Angelic Doctor.
rather
want
to
show
that there
may be
very big
issues involved,
and
that unless
we walk
away
carefully
we may
actually follow-
who
is
taking us where
we
do not wish
to go.
If there is a
philosophy,
it is
As one con-
ceives being, so
physics.
Now
there
perform, pro-
to
do
is
to
some textbooks
Divt
of philosophy ad mentem
Thomae.
You
It
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
you very much time
books
fall into
33
two
namely, those
a distinction of
re,
deny
it.
some
made up
is
either a
mode
or
according to the
the world
is
made up
which
act,
sophically different worlds, for indeed beings cannot, at one and the
same time be
actualized.
What,
then,
supreme
is
ence ?
is?
What
supreme, what
or that
it
Obviously, a philosopher
is
here bound
is
to
make
not
possible
to
is
a phi-
34
true at one
fact,
mentem
own
one another
and yet
I
Thomists.
Now
shall
not here
tell
you
what
my own choice would be, or, rather, what my own choice is. I could not possibly
do so because
to state
it,
it
would be sheer
it
arbitrariness
while to justify
would involve
one thing,
at least,
is
sure. It is this:
whichis
one
is
wrong.
Through
philos-
many
one; which
is
suited to bringing
solation.
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
35
if
the mis-
take about
Whoever
is
here committing an
is
er-
it is
a fact that he
mistaken about
once
do with the
practical
his-
example
will perhaps
make
clearer
what
the nineteenth
official
there
existed
an
faculties of philosophy. It
Now my
sense
large
it
.'*
question very
is
this:
does this
make
am
much
does
make
sense,
and
almost despair of
36
making
ter
why
it
of
if
fact, that is
is
to
do
he
called
on
losophy.
Whether
the philosopher
whom
he
is
Scotus, Locke,
much
own
prob-
we have
who have
work of
is
them-
The
Aris-
nearest approach to
totle,
it is
the
one of
all
the
many
times and in
to
down
in his
Essay on
Human
Understanding.
As an
ex-
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
37
organic unity of
ficult,
its
it
dif-
to curtail
to correct or to
it
remodel
to date
it,
with
to
a view to bringing
up
and
adapting
it
to the requirements of
If,
modern
classroom teaching.
in Locke's philos-
you
are,
in
fact,
denying his
philosophy.
principles
and rejecting
his
When,
it
be. It
was then
that
it
Thomas
was pos-
38
he known
since
it
was no longer
his phi-
Thomas Aquinas.
it,
Such
is,
as
see
tinction that
we
and a
own
the same.
text
book
in philosophy, or
bound
unity
Wondering about
the difference
in music,
Robert
a golden
holding
reason
it
together. This,
no doubt,
is
the
why
be called a "com-
And
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
so
it is
39
Even when
There
is
only one
it
way
to
prove
this,
but
to
anyone
else,
for the
The proof
lies in a
Of
all
those
who
in schools or
I
am
idea of
Not
who
to read Vergil,
cannot
if
a larger
num-
enjoy living a
if
genuinely philosophical
they were
40
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
in
AND
warned
them
but a
as philosophy
way
to
it,
ters in
philosophy there
philosophers ?
For those
at least
among our
students
how
could
we have
What
than our
own
students ?
We cannot be their
When
let
is
masters, since
we
who
our
own
we
can
still
Our new
task
to teach
them
to learn
Thomas Aquinas,
him
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
a true philosopher does, that
is
41
with the
same standard of
scientific objectivity
and
whole body of
light of
When
come?
No
to
one can
tell,
many
and
no short road
it
Yet come
will,
when
it
And
we
its life,
recognize in
it
intelligible beauty,
Wisdom
that "reacheth
all
from end
to
That
taken,
is
why, unless
be greatly mis-
the history
of philosophy should
42
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
this I
is,
AND
ultimate
By
goal
full-fledged philosophers.
And
is
just as in the
good, there
a price that
we must
is
not what
said to be
by those
ill-
away from
historical
would
still
not be valid,
The
to history,
alive,
still
and
none of them
vitality
guide,
St.
is
the his-
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
43
If there
is
a source of
where,
would
it
in the
by
wisdom
of
are
is
themselves wisdom.
The
life
wisdom
who
carry
them
into
sown
bound
to pull asunder.
The
happen
is
that, in
God
loss.
did
men through
be not their
meta-
loss
44
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
AND
Would
it
the misunderstandings
many
probis
a perfection, but
which
is its
no existence of
its
own
is
our
own wisdom
of
we have
one; such
Thomas Aquinas.
By
Like
men
themselves,
way
of
a curious illusion,
is
we
like to
somewhere
in
this
in itself
and
of which
all
philosophers are
Why
not, then,
it
go a
little far-
ther
and imagine
as laid
down
in such
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
books
as
45
Plato, of Aristotle, or of
Thomas Aquinas,
that
is,
We may try,
is
that phi-
a pure
and sim-
philosopher
is
is
a being,
whereas philos-
ophy
that of the
losophy points
than
What makes
is
some-
one of
of what
is
universal in
him
is
own personality. Through his intellect, every man is a person and through the same
intellect
as
any other
man
can
see,
provided they
46
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
intellects in the
else, lies
AND
proper way.
the foundation
ennis; for
it is,
permanent
possibility
human being
to actualize
own
existence, that
to experience
light of his
itself is
pwn
And
that truth
in
its
and
self-subsisting
Its
form,
is
name
God.
Once
is
room
and consoling
if
reality.
We
there
is
no ready-made philosophy
to teach
and
to learn,
wisdom
is
We
all
have to win
it
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
47
common effort, none of us is alone. At the moment when we give up the mirage of a self-subsisting philosophy, we find
very
ourselves surrounded by the friendly com-
all
here,
in
our
we
apply to
them for
there
is
including, as
Thomas Aquinas
their
himself once
failures.
expressly
observed,
very
What
in
the history
its
source,
any-
where
where
it is,
being himself
it
in the
He may make
their
num-
feels
and soon
comes
to
know
48
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
AND
many
Then
cen-
own end and find its own philosophical reward. A new philosophical life has been
kindled by another philosophical
is
life.
There
some
both old
and new,
in time
is
What
ence ?
among them
ness, just as
own
small-
them
to achieve their
own
greatness. Is an
example necessary ?
Do
but remember
how
PHILOSOPHICAL EDUCATION
49
much
time and
toil
Thomas Aquinas
has
spent in commenting
Aristotle.
same
and
for
every
time he said
Yet so
little
Who
is
the Phi-
losopher.?
we would
unhesitatingly answer:
Thomas Aquinas.
Milwaukee
3,
Wisconsin
St.
Thomas and
late
Fr.
John
at
McCormick,
S.J.,
professor of
philosophy
Loyola University.
St.
Thomas and
J.
Thomas and
the
Greeks (1939)
by Anton C.
The
attire
Yves
Simon,
of
philosophy,
University of Notre
Dame.
Fr.
St.
Gerald B.
Dame.
(1942) by
St.
Thomas and
the
the
Problem of Evil
Holy
See.
First in series
(1937) $1.00;
ail
others $1.50.
Jaeger,
"university"
professor,
Harvard
University.
Fr.
Cicero
in
the
(1945) by the
St.
Fr. Louis-
St.
Thomas and the Greek Moralists (1947, Spring) by Vernon J. Bourke, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo.
director
of studies
and professor of
Pontifical
the
history
of mediaeval philosophy,
Institute of