Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Announcing a New Master's Program in Scholastic Philosophy (Institute Catholique de Toulouse)


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Fr. Serge-Thomas Bonino, O.P. (General Secretary of the International Theological Commission) and the Dominicans over at the Institute Catholique de Toulouse are joining the efforts of the Institut Saint Thomas d'Aquin, the Revue thomiste, and the Studium du Couvent Saint-Thomas d'Aquin, in order to create what seems to be a promising new master's program in Scholastic Philosophy (in French "Master actualité de la philosophie scolastique," in Latin, Licentia docendi philosophiae scholasticae), an ecclesiastical philosophy degree granted by the Institut Catholique de Toulouse.  The program clearly aims to be faithful to the tradition of Scholastic Thomism.  The program is expected to open in September of this year.

This is very exciting news.  As many readers of Ite ad Thomam are aware, in the last fifty years or so, Thomists in general have abandoned the use of St. Thomas' own method (the scholastic method) and have turned to other, usually modern methodologies (historical, analytical, etc.) to present the doctrines of the Angelic Doctor.  Sadly, except for the few isolated attempts of a few scholars here at IAT and elsewhere, there are no traditional (or scholastic) Thomists anymore.  This program could go a long way towards the restoration of our school of thought.

Could this program at Toulouse be the first graduate degree program since the last Council that seeks to restore scholastic Thomism?  Although the site and the brochure (which I obtained privately and does not seem to be available online) do not say anything explicit on the use of the scholastic method in the classroom, the brochure does speak of the use of an orderly methodology in each discipline ("En avançant avec méthode dans chaque discipline les étudiants acquièrent une vision organisée et cohérente de la réalité").  

The coursework is two years long, and it includes courses in logic, natural philosophy, philosophical psychology, ethics, politics, metaphysics, the history of philosophy, methodology, and sacred theology (STL courses from the Institut Saint Thomas d'Aquin).

Année A - 1er Semestre


Cours
Intitulés
Métaphysique
La substance, l’acte et la puissance dans la Métaphysique d’Aristote
Philosophie
de la nature
Création & Évolution 1 : le problème des créationnismes
Philosophie
de l’homme
La vocation de la femme
Politique
La primauté du Bien commun
Logique
La dialectique aristotélicienne 1
Histoire de la philosophie
-       S. Thomas d’Aquin et la Somme de théologie.

-       La Foi et la raison
Théologie
-       1 cours bloc de l’ISTA
Méthodologie
cours du Master Éthique, cultures et humanité

[1] Groupe de recherche de l’Équipe de recherche Éthique, cultures & humanité (2007-) de l’ICT.

Année A - 2e Semestre


Cours
Intitulés
Métaphysique
Dieu, acte pur et pensée de la pensée,
le livre XII de la Métaphysique d’Aristote
Philosophie
de la nature
Création & Évolution 2 : le problème des matérialismes
Philosophie
de l’homme
Philosophie de l'homme et psychologie contemporaine
Politique
Anthropologie et théorie politique chez Suárez
Logique
La dialectique aristotélicienne 2
Histoire de la philosophie
Aux sources de la phénoménologie, « la controverse idéalisme-réalisme »
Théologie
1 cours bloc de l’ISTA
Méthodologie
[N.B. : choix du sujet du mémoire et du directeur de recherche]

Année B - 1er Semestre


Cours
Intitulés
Métaphysique
Les purs esprits, le traité De Substantiis separatis de S. Thomas d’Aquin
Philosophie
de la nature
L’univers et le temps, le traité De Æternitate mundi de S. Thomas d’Aquin
Philosophie
de l’homme
La bioéthique et le statut ontologique de l’embryon humain
Politique
Le concept de « droits de l’homme »
Logique
L’art de tromper, Réfutations sophistiques et désinformation
Histoire de la philosophie
Les thomismes
Théologie
-       1 cours bloc de l’ISTA
Méthodologie
Travail de recherche et éditions critiques, le cas de l’édition léonine

Année B - 2e Semestre

Cours
Intitulés
Métaphysique
« Dieu sans l’être » ? S. Thomas d’Aquin et l’onto-théologie
Philosophie
de la nature
La crise des sciences modernes et contemporaines
Philosophie
de l’homme
La spiritualité de l’âme humaine, les expériences de mort imminente
Politique
Laïcité ou laïcisme : la religion dans la cité
Logique
Les langages totalitaires (langue de bois et langue du Troisième Reich)
Histoire de la philosophie
Averroès
Théologie
1 cours bloc de l’ISTA
Mémoire de recherche

MASTER ACTUALITÉ

Faculté de Philosophie :
31 rue de la Fonderie
B.P. 7012
31068 TOULOUSE Cedex 7
Tél. : 05.61.36.81.00
Fax : 05.61.36.81.37


Although the program is clearly not governed exclusively by traditional Catholic principles, at the very least, it is definitely a step in the right direction.  

The program also features a few interesting names among its faculty.  Bonino is, of course, the most eminent Thomist among the professors.  And although he cannot quite be catalogued as a scholastic Thomist (he is more of a historical Thomist), Bonino is nonetheless convinced that "the massive rejection of the 'commentators' by mid-20th century Thomism" is not at all a good thing.  His historical research on some of the chief members of the tradition of scholastic Thomism has done much to promote the restoration of scholastic thought.  But it is noteworthy that, in addition to Bonino, two traditional Catholic professors are listed as faculty members, namely, Stéphane Agullo and Bruno Couillaud, both of which also teach at the seminary of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (the latter also teaches at the FSSP seminary in Wigratzbad).  For us traditional Catholics, this is a very good sign.

Dare we hope that one such theology program be developed in the near future?



5 comments:

Geremia said...

Deo gratias!

Mercier said...

Your point at the end is worth pondering. If this is going to be done in theology who will do it. Perhaps Ave Maria is the closest? Also have you heard of the Thomist Institute in Utrecht(mainly philosophy from what I have read)?
If so do you know where they are on the spectrum? Traditional Catholics and Thomists have to start forming intellectual networks so we can retake the field.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I found your site very fascinating. What attracted me to it are the list of classic Catholic Theological Books. These are treasures! I also found interesting posts such as WHAT ARE THE TECHNIQUES OF NEO-MODERNISM AND THE NOUVELLE THEOLOGIE where you distinguished between positive theology and ressourcement.

Since you are not just a Thomist, but a traditional thomist, I presume you are exposed and acquainted to controversies just like the Scholastics. There is this Catholic Systematic Theologian by the name of Emil Anton who posted heavy doses of anti-catholic objections against "Papal Infallibility" and Catholic Apologetics in general.

Papal Infallibility Debate (His Criticism on the Dogma)
http://saunadebates.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/papal-infallibility-debate/

More Here:
http://saunadebates.wordpress.com/category/papal-infallibility/

I hope to see how a Traditional Thomist stands the test of time by crossing swords with so-called "modern systematic theologians". I also hope to read more of your articles criticizing modern philosophers who you think shape today's intellectual mess. If it is not too much, maybe you might also want to add your criticism to some of the works anti-catholic apologists in the net today i.e. Dr. James White, Dr. Eric Svendsen, etc.

DANIEL OFFUTT said...

Dear Francisco,

Would you be willing to write about how the Scholastic-Thomistic outlook would change how high-priority Catholic issues (abortion, euthanasia, "religious freedom", democracy, ..., you tell me) are viewed and approached?

May I request an article that aligns symptoms of Modernist-caused problems in the Church with the numbered sections of Pascendi? (Or several such sections, as appropriate)?

Do you know where to find Gredt in English? Br. Francis (MICM) said that is the best philosophy book that existed (in 1985).

Daniel Offutt

Geremia said...

@Daniel Offutt: I don't believe there is an English translation of Gredt's Elementa philosophiae Aristotelico-Thomisticae, but Don Paco is working on an English translation of Hugon's Cursus Philosophiæ Thomisticæ.