Aquinas On Metaphysics. A historicodoctrinal study of the Commentary on the Metaphysics by James C. Doig

Abstract

826 BOOK REVIEWS Institute of Philosophy and Religion, Pune, under the able editorship of the Jesuit professors Joseph Neuner and James Dupuis. Stemming from the 1938 publication by J. Neuner and H. Roos of Der Glaube der Kirche in den Urkunden der Lehrverkundigung and down through the 1967 and 1969 English The Teaching of the Catholic Church, deriving in a measure from other collections, especially Denziger-Schonmetzer , the present book provides a number of more relevant and recent documents. A long introduction on the value, limitations, and use of such a collection of doctrinal texts is a sound contribution and caution, and a valuable guideline for the reader. Chapters have been rearranged and new ones inserted. The prefaces to the chapters and the evaluations of the individual documents or offerings have been in great part presented to reflect later scholarship and the viewpoint of Vatican II. A concordance with other familiar collections follows the usual indexes. This new collection may be used with profit by those who are interested in an authoritative guidance provided by doctrinal documents which serve as witness of the Faith. Dominican House of Studit!8 W1Uhington, D. C. NICHOLAS HALLIGAN, 0. P. A Reply to Vernon J. Bourke's final judgment-" an example of how not to interpret a philosophical classic "-on: Aquinas On Metaphysics. A historicodoctrinal study of the Commentary on the Metaphysics. By JAMES C. Dow. When I first read Prof. Bourke's review of my historical study of Aquinas's Commentary on the Metaphysics, I became concerned. I am still concerned, and not because of the statement I have chosen as a title, nor for these other words either: " This is a grandiose project: it would take a marvelous mind and very mature scholarship. . • " etc.1 I, no more than anyone else, like to read such words when they refer to oneself, but these are not the source of my concern. Ordinarily I would try to shrug off such comments and the review containing them. Yet I find I cannot shrug off this review, for there is something very peculiar about it, to wit: I) the review contains completely inaccurate statements about the medieval period and uses them as the basis for judgment on my work; 2) the reviewer leads the reader to form what are obviously false impressions about the content of my book; and 8) the review seems to indicate that its author failed to notice Chs. III-VI of the book (186 pages). As 1 The Thom~t. 87, (Jan. 1978), p. ~41. BOOK REVIEWS 8~7 noted, I would ordinarily attempt to ignore the type of comment chosen as title, or all other comments of a personal nature. Yet I do not think it proper to shrug off the review itself. Aquinas's CO'mmentary on the Metaphysics is an important work, and it would be wrong if the study of it were to suffer because of Prof. Bourke's improper attack on my book. Accordingly I feel obligated to stand up in defense of what surely is the proper way to study Aquinas's work; I feel it necessary to defend it against what apparently passes in this country as " scholarly medieval criticism," that is, the type of thing found in Prof. Bourke's review. Medieval studies, and in particular scholarship in the study of medieval philosophy, not to mention Aquinas's Commentary on the Metaphysicsthese are important to me. Hence I am responding to Prof. Bourke's review and responding in the only way I judge proper, that is, by speaking directly to him on the following topics: 1) the value of studying the Spiazzi-Cathala edition of Aquinas's Cvmmenta1'1J; 2) the five Latin versions of the Metaphysics used by Aquinas in his Commenfu1'1J; 8) the date of Albert's Commenta1'1J on the Metaphysics; Albert's knowledge of Averroes; Albert's influence on Aquinas; 4) Neplatonism in my study of Aquinas; 5) Aquinas's view on knowledge of esse; 6) miscellanea, including the dating of Aquinas's Commenta1'1J. + + + + + Dear Professor Bourke: Over 700 years ago Thomas Aquinas :finished his Commentary on the Metaphysics. This is a work which would have established his...