Thomistic Psychology in the Works of Fr. Angel de Blas, OP

Abstract

The celebration of the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines is also an opportunity for the University of Santo Tomas (Manila) to look into her own history, and on how that history intersects with the larger history of Christianity in the Philippines. Being one of the oldest Christian institutions in the Philippines, the University has been home to several thinkers who have, in their own way, contributed to the growth of Christianity in the country. This paper takes a historical look at the contribution of one Thomasian, Fr. Angel de Blas, OP, who wrote and taught in the University of Santo Tomas from the early to the middle part of the 20th Century. He thrived at a time when new developments were emerging in the academic landscape of the Philippines, particularly in the area of philosophy and psychology. At that time, psychology was slowly emerging as a distinct discipline in the human sciences, and the philosophical temperament in the country was also slowly embracing traditions other than scholasticism and Thomism. The paper will attempt to articulate Fr. Angel de Blas, OP’s contribution during this time of the transition. It also hopes to show that this Dominican has demonstrated a way of dialoguing Catholic philosophy and life with the developments of the sciences.