The Dispute between Gilson and Maritain over Thomist Realism

• Authors: Stephen Chamberlain
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This paper considers the proper location and function of critique in establishing a Thomist realism. The author begins by providing a brief explanation of Étienne Gilson’s understanding of critique and why he thinks a “critical realism” is incoherent. Next, the author considers the criticisms made by John Knasas who, from a Gilsonian perspective, argues that Jacques Maritain employs a version of the transcendental method of retorsion in order to justify his realism. Finally, the author offers a Maritainian response to Knasas in which it is argued that Maritain’s account provides a via media between the Transcendental Thomists, on the one hand, and the strict Aristotelian or a posteriori Thomists, on the other.

Keywords

EN

Thomist realism; critique; epistemology; ontology of knowledge; critical realism; retorsion; principle of identity; thing-object distinction

• Publisher: International Étienne Gilson Society
• Journal: Studia Gilsoniana
• Year: 2017
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 177-195

Dates

published

2017-06-30

Contributors

author

Stephen Chamberlain

• Rockhurst Jesuit University, Kansas City, MO, USA

References

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Identifiers

ISSN

2300-0066