This academic essay explores the possibilities to knowledge of God in the thought of Thomas Aquinas. The essay takes its departure from question 12 in the Summa Theologiae, specifically articles 12 and 13 that deal with natural knowledge of God and supernatural knowledge, respectively.  It also presents objections made by modern philosophers against these ways of knowledge along with a rebuttal of these objections.  Lastly, a conclusion is offered and ends with a reflection on how Aquinas' teaching on human knowledge of God in earthly existence compares with his teaching on the knowledge human beings will have in heaven and what consequences that has for our present knowledge.

Thesis advisor: Stephen Pope / Thesis advisor: Dominic Doyle / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

This essay studies recent scholarly debates over Edmund Burke’s (1729/30-1797) relation to the Roman Catholic faith. In this essay the main arguments and considerations that have been presented in Burke scholarship since the 1990s are presented and assessed. In the light of the contemporary caricaturing of Burke as a crypto-Papist in the 18th century, and the continued debate in recent scholarship over how close Burke stood to the Roman Catholic faith, this study aims to understand what can be said about Burke’s thought as it has been presented by recent scholars. The main question posed in this essay is whether Catholicism is essential to understand Burke, and therefore a correct understanding of Burke not being possible without taking this aspect into account. The question is analysed by studying to what extent recent scholars argue for Catholicism being essential and necessary to understand Burke’s life and thought.

Em diversas passagens, Tomás de Aquino afirma que é impossível o nosso intelecto, unido ao corpo, inteligir algo em ato sem se converter aos fantasmas (conversio ad phantasmata). Segue-se, portanto, que a conversão aos fantasmas [i.e., o direcionamento natural do intelecto para as imagens recebidas pelos sentidos] é a condição de possibilidade da intelecção humana. Agora, se tal intelecção depende da conversão aos fantasmas, e estes, por sua vez, dependem da afecção dos entes materiais sobre os sentidos, conclui-se que o conhecimento intelectual humano só é possível a partir do conhecimento sensível. Se é correta essa simplificação, então, podemos continuar perguntando pela questão que, de fato, interessará aqui, a saber, se é possível o conhecimento dos incorpóreos, dos quais não existem fantasmas (imagens recebidas). Ora, se é indubitável que dos incorpóreos não temos fantasmas, então, como poderíamos inteligilos, uma vez que a intelecção humana depende necessariamente da conversio ad phantasmata? Para dar conta dessa problemática, propomos primeiro explicar porque a conversão aos fantasmas é a conditio sine qua non da intelecção humana. Somente depois disso, consideraremos o objetivo central desta investigação que é explicitar como Tomás de Aquino argumenta a favor da possibilidade do conhecimento de Deus, do qual não temos fantasmas / In several passages, Thomas Aquinas states that it is impossible for our intellect, united to the body, can actually to understand without conversion to the phantasms (conversio ad phantasmata). It follows therefore that the conversion to the phantasms (i.e., the natural direction of the intellect to the images received by the senses) is the condition of possibility of human intellection. Now, if such intellection depends on the conversion to the phantasms, and these, in turn, depend on the affection of the material ones on the senses, it is concluded that the human intellectual knowledge is only possible from sensitive knowledge. If this simplification is correct, then we can keep asking the question that really concern us here, namely, the question of the possibility of knowledge of incorporeal things, of which there are no phantasms (received images). While it is no doubt that we have no phantasms of incorporeal things, so how could we to understand them, since human intellection necessarily depends on the conversio ad phantasmata? To resolve this issue, we propose first explain why the conversion to the phantasms is the conditio sine qua non of human intellection. Only after that, we consider the main objective of this research: to explain how Aquinas argues for the possibility of knowledge of God, of which we have no phantasms

Em diversas passagens, Tomás de Aquino afirma que é impossível o nosso intelecto, unido ao corpo, inteligir algo em ato sem se converter aos fantasmas (conversio ad phantasmata). Segue-se, portanto, que a conversão aos fantasmas [i.e., o direcionamento natural do intelecto para as imagens recebidas pelos sentidos] é a condição de possibilidade da intelecção humana. Agora, se tal intelecção depende da conversão aos fantasmas, e estes, por sua vez, dependem da afecção dos entes materiais sobre os sentidos, conclui-se que o conhecimento intelectual humano só é possível a partir do conhecimento sensível. Se é correta essa simplificação, então, podemos continuar perguntando pela questão que, de fato, interessará aqui, a saber, se é possível o conhecimento dos incorpóreos, dos quais não existem fantasmas (imagens recebidas). Ora, se é indubitável que dos incorpóreos não temos fantasmas, então, como poderíamos inteligilos, uma vez que a intelecção humana depende necessariamente da conversio ad phantasmata? Para dar conta dessa problemática, propomos primeiro explicar porque a conversão aos fantasmas é a conditio sine qua non da intelecção humana. Somente depois disso, consideraremos o objetivo central desta investigação que é explicitar como Tomás de Aquino argumenta a favor da possibilidade do conhecimento de Deus, do qual não temos fantasmas / In several passages, Thomas Aquinas states that it is impossible for our intellect, united to the body, can actually to understand without conversion to the phantasms (conversio ad phantasmata). It follows therefore that the conversion to the phantasms (i.e., the natural direction of the intellect to the images received by the senses) is the condition of possibility of human intellection. Now, if such intellection depends on the conversion to the phantasms, and these, in turn, depend on the affection of the material ones on the senses, it is concluded that the human intellectual knowledge is only possible from sensitive knowledge. If this simplification is correct, then we can keep asking the question that really concern us here, namely, the question of the possibility of knowledge of incorporeal things, of which there are no phantasms (received images). While it is no doubt that we have no phantasms of incorporeal things, so how could we to understand them, since human intellection necessarily depends on the conversio ad phantasmata? To resolve this issue, we propose first explain why the conversion to the phantasms is the conditio sine qua non of human intellection. Only after that, we consider the main objective of this research: to explain how Aquinas argues for the possibility of knowledge of God, of which we have no phantasms

Cette thèse voudrait faire connaître la pensée de Francisco Canals, philosophe catalan qui s’inscrit dans la tradition de la philosophie thomiste mais avec beaucoup de particularités. L’œuvre de Canals est principalement un effort de fondation de la métaphysique, dans le sillage de Joseph Maréchal.Nous présentons un élément qui transperce toute l’œuvre de Canals: l’auto-connaissance de l’âme. Nous allons voir si la doctrine de Canals sur la cognitio de anima secundum quod habet esse, un des fondements de la métaphysique selon lui, peut être considérée comme un élément central et structurant de toute sa pensée. Nous pensons, en effet, que cet élément permet à Canals d’avoir une vocation systématique et une compréhension unitaire de toute la philosophie.Une présentation unitaire et systématique de la pensée originale de Canals constitue une invitation à considérer plus cet auteur et sans doute un apport à l’Académie. / The aim of my thesis is for the reader to become acquainted with the thought of Francisco Canals, a Catalan philosopher whose work builds on the tradition of thomistic philosophy yet with many specific particularities. Canals’ work is mainly an attempt to lay the ground for metaphysics, building on Joseph Maréchal’s work. In this thesis I will focus on one aspect underlying the whole of Canals’ work : the soul’s knowledge of itself. My aim is to assess the extent to which Canals’ theory on cognitio de anima secundum quod habet esse, which is, according to him, one of the fundamental bases of metaphysics, may be considered a core element and a driving principle for the whole of his thought. Indeed my view is that this one point is what enables Canals to develop a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the whole of philosophy. This unified and systematic approach to Canals’ original thought should be taken as an invitation to give greater importance that author and shall hopefully be considered helpful in the academic field.

This thesis compares and contrasts the historiography of Quebec and Flanders during the first half of the twentieth century. The main argument is that the philosophy of neo-Thomism was influential to the conceptualization and writing of history by prominent nationalist historians in both Quebec and Flanders during the period leading up to the Second World War. By extensively comparing the life and works of prominent nationalist historians that played an active role in the nationalist movements of Quebec and Flanders, it has been found that the Catholic University of Leuven was influential in the development of nationalist historiography in Quebec and Flanders during the first decades of the twentieth century. In this sense, this thesis argues that the nationalist historians of Quebec and Flanders be considered as part of a shared historiographical tradition that was influenced by the neo- Thomist philosophy which played an essential role at the Catholic University of Leuven during this period, and which can be traced back in the writings and practices of nationalist historians in both Quebec and Flanders. Out of this shared influence of the neo-Thomist philosophy then, this thesis argues for a reevaluation of the traditional portrayal of nationalist historiography in the first half of the twentieth century, and a reconsideration of the influence neo-Thomism has had on the conceptualization of nationalist history in Quebec and Flanders. It is argued that the nationalist historians of both Quebec and Flanders have traditionally been characterized as unscientific due to their convergence of science and politics, and portrayed the nation as deterministic, meaning that the nation's essence and development was unaffected by the historical circumstances. By analysing the historical works of nationalist historians that either attended the Catholic University of Leuven, or were part of a network that was influenced by the writings of the neo-Thomists that taught at Leuven, this thesis will make three general arguments that will nuance this traditional portrayal of nationalist historiography during the first half of the twentieth century. First, it will be argued that the neo-Thomist emphasis on the interdependence of essential and existential characteristics nuances the essentialist portrayal of the nation. Using the case of neo- Thomist chemistry as a counterexample, it will be shown how nationalist historians in Quebec and Flanders ascribed an important role to the existentiality and historicity of the nation, and as such, compels us to reconsider the essentialist paradigm of nationalist historiography. Secondly, the neo- Thomist notion of science which legitimated the convergence of subjectivity and objectivity sheds new light on the practice and theory of what constituted scientific history in the first half of the twentieth century. Moreover, it will be argued that Quebec and Flanders shared a similar theoretical concept of what constituted scientific history, but represented their historical works differently due to the differentiating political and academic context. Finally, the thesis will highlight how the notions of ambiguity and human freedom, which figured prominently in neo-Thomism, influenced the notion of teleology in Quebec and Flemish nationalist historiography, as is illustrated by the notion of coincidence in Flemish, and providence in Quebec historiography. In addition, using the cases of nationalist historians Lionel Groulx and Hendrik Elias, it will be argued that the different political contexts influenced the political actions of the two nationalist historians, which helps to shed new light on the motives of Flemish nationalist historians to collaborate during the Second World War. By comparing and contrasting the two cases then, this thesis is able to show how the neo- Thomist framework and crucial concepts were not only instrumental to the nationalist historiographies in Quebec and Flanders, but were also malleable to differing historical contexts, and, as such, provides new insight in the intricate relationship between religion, nationalism and historiography that underpinned nationalist historiography in Quebec and Flanders during the first half of the twentieth century.

[pt] O presente estudo visa oferecer uma reflexão originária sobre responsabilidade moral e responsabilidade legal. A responsabilidade moral será baseada no tomismo, especificamente na Doutrina do Duplo Efeito. Quanto à responsabilidade legal, abordaremos a moralidade do direito em Lon Fuller. No capítulo primeiro estudaremos a Doutrina do Duplo Efeito, também chamada de Teoria do Duplo Efeito, que tem as suas raízes na filosofia moral tomista, estudando as condições em que uma ação com bons e maus resultados é moralmente permissível. No segundo capítulo, estudaremos sobre o direito e sua moralidade, onde iremos tomar como base o conceito de direito natural segundo Lon Fuller. Verificaremos que Fuller considera que a qualidade do direito dependerá de sua moralidade interna. Por fim, no terceiro capítulo, baseada na obra de Lon Fuller: O caso dos exploradores de cavernas, traremos a resenha da obra e, traremos uma análise do livro sob o ponto de vista da DDE e sob o ponto de vista do Direito Penal brasileiro. Concluiremos este estudo falando sobre a escolha e sua responsabilidade moral e a responsabilidade legal e a imposição da lei. / [en] The present study aims to offer a reflection on moral responsibility and legal responsibility. Moral responsibility will be based on thomism, specifically in Doctrine of double effect. With regard to legal responsibility, we will discuss the morality of law in Lon Fuller. In the first chapter we will study the Doctrine of double effect, also known as Theory of double effect, which has its roots in thomistic moral philosophy, by studying the conditions under which an action with good and bad results is morally permissible. In the second chapter, we will study about law and its morality, where we will take as basis for the concept of natural law according to Lon Fuller. We will notice that Fuller considers that the quality of law will depend on its internal morality. Finally, in the third chapter, based on the work of Lon Fuller: The case of the exploiters of cave, we will introduce a summary of the work and an analysis of the book under the Doctrine of double effect s point of view and criminal law Brazilian s either. We will complete this study speaking of the choice and its moral responsibility and the legal responsibility and the levy of law.

Submitted by RODRIGO HENRIQUE FERREIRA DA SILVA null (silvarhf@gmail.com) on 2016-11-22T16:49:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO.pdf: 1516261 bytes, checksum: b245a0439129851a6143b397fae79fbd (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-11-25T16:54:04Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_rhf_me_fran.pdf: 1516261 bytes, checksum: b245a0439129851a6143b397fae79fbd (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-25T16:54:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_rhf_me_fran.pdf: 1516261 bytes, checksum: b245a0439129851a6143b397fae79fbd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O objetivo desse trabalho é compreender como a doutrina escolástica-tomista foi concebida pela monarquia espanhola através das ideias defendidas pelo padre dominicano Francisco de Vitoria (1492-1546), por meio de sua obra Relectio de Indis. Nesse período de discussões intelectuais sobre o Novo Mundo, muitos teólogos e juristas procuraram estabelecer diretrizes sobre as populações indígenas e o modo de governar da Coroa castelhana. No caso de Vitoria, líder e mestre catedrático da Universidade de Salamanca, as soluções para o problema das Indias foram pensadas pelas suas teses tomistas de colonização, tendo como base a prática do bom governo que administra a justiça para o bem comum dos “bárbaros” a fim de garanti-los na “civilização” cristã espanhola e “inseri-los” nos corpora da hierarquia universal ordenada moralmente pelas leis eterna, divina, natural e humana positiva, sendo as leis naturais mediadoras de toda a justiça e direito do bom governo. / The aim of this work is to understand how the scholastic-thomist doctrine was conceived by Spanish monarchy through the ideas defended by Dominican priest Francisco de Vitoria (1492-1546), through his work Relectio de Indis. In this period of intellectual discussions about the New World, many theologians and jurists sought to establish guidelines about the indigenous people and the way of governing the Castilian crown. In the case of Vitoria, leader and master professor of the Salamanca University, solutions to the Indias problem were thought their colonization thomist theses, based on the practice of good government that administer justice to the common well of the “heathens” in order to ensure them in Spanish christian “civilization” and insert them into the corpora of the universal hierarchy morally ordered by eternal, divine, natural and positive human laws, which the natural laws are mediators of all justice and right of good government.

This study sets out to reclaim the ontological epistemology of Saint Thomas Aquinas which serves as a unifier of knowledge in being, within the philosophical milieu of being’s forgottenness. Post-Humean and Kantian thought made appearance rather than being solely accessible to the thinking subject. The consequence has been the marginalisation of being as reflected in truth – influenced by scientistic and postmodern paradigms – which has contributed to both the paucity of meaningless metaphysics, and the conceptualisation of science and faith as necessarily opposing categories. To the end of establishing that science and faith have points of intersection, it is argued that the reclamation of Thomist natural philosophy leads to the defence of a clarified form of realism. Establishing the “real” implies that the metaphysical dimensions of the problem of existence can be explored. Within this realist model, the “pre-Modern” Thomistic theory of “scientia” is employed to bring physical and natural science and metaphysics into relationship as components of true knowledge of being. Consequently, the author puts forth that “scientia” is exemplified in, amongst others, the particular science of cosmology since the rudimentary point of engagement between physical and metaphysical science occurs in the act of creation, that is, when being comes into existence. Whilst metaphysics is often disregarded, it is consistently proposed that the causal nature of being demands – by its presence – a more robust account than physical and natural science can offer. The contribution made by this work rests in its ontologically-formed epistemic typology whereby “hard” science and faith are related in boundary areas of knowledge, that is, when metaphysical problems emerge from within physical and natural science. By reimaging “hard” science and reasonable faith within “scientia”, both approaches are conceived as adequating to truth when their content is reflective of being. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Philosophy / DPhil / Unrestricted