Neo-scholasticism is a revival of medieval scholastic philosophy that occurred in the late 19th century. It draws upon scholastic thinkers like Thomas Aquinas and aims to reconcile classical and Christian philosophy. Key aspects of neo-scholasticism include its view of religion as the context for human life and knowledge, its distinction between natural theology using reason and supernatural theology relying on Catholic doctrine, and its philosophical arguments for the existence of God and attributes of God like perfection, infinity, and unity. Regarding human nature, neo-scholasticism sees humans as having both a material body and rational soul, with freedom of will being essential. Strengths of its realist philosophy

1. Bukidnon State University
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2. Neo-Scholastism
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Talk Points
A. Scholastism
About and History of Scholastism
Scholastic Method and Instruction
B.Neo-Scholastism
The Status of Religion
The Argument for the Existence of God
The Nature of God
The Nature of Man
C.Strengths and Weaknesses of Philosophy
of Realism

3. Neo-Scholastism
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4. Scholastism
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Scholasticism is derived
from the Latin word
scholasticus which means
"that [which] belongs to the
school", and was a method
of learning taught by the
academics (or school
people) of medieval
universities circa 1100–
1500.
Scholasticism originally started to reconcile the
philosophy of the ancient classical philosophers with
medieval Christian theology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism

5. Scholastism
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Scolasticism gets its start with late ancient
figures like (early church fathers) St.Ambrose
and St. Augustine who attempt to use
Philosophy and Philosophical reason to help
explain the doctrine and mysteries of the
church.
Ambrose and Augustine were among the first
Church fathers to marry Christian sensabilities
to Greek philosophy.
The synthesis of Greek Philosophy and
Christian Doctrine is the heart of
scholasticism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism

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The main figures of scholasticism
were Peter Abelard, Albertus
Magnus, Duns Scotus, William of
Ockham, Bonaventure and, above all,
Thomas Aquinas, whose Summa
Theologica is an ambitious synthesis
of Greek philosophy and Christian
doctrine which influence from
Aristotle and Plato.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism

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Early scholasticism (5th or 6th centuries)
Charlemagne, advised by Peter of Pisa and Alcuin of
York, attracted the scholars of England and Ireland, and
by decree in AD 787 established schools in every abbey
in his empire. Schools, from which the name
scholasticism is derived, became centres of medieval
learning.
Anselm of Laon systematised the production of the
gloss on Scripture, followed by the rise to prominence of
dialectic in the work of Abelard, and the production by
Peter Lombard of a collection of Sentences or opinions
of the Church Fathers and other authorities.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism

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High scholasticism (13th and early 14th centuries )
The universities developed in the large cities of
Europe during this period, and rival clerical orders
within the church began to battle for political and
intellectual control over these centers of educational
life.
The two main orders founded in this period were the
Franciscans and the Dominicans. The Franciscans
were founded by Francis of Assisi in 1209. The
Dominican order, founded by St Dominic in 1215
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism

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Second scholasticism (16th century)
Second Scholasticism is a term applied to the revival
of the scholastic system of philosophy in the 16th
century.
It arose partly as a reaction to the Protestant
reformation which emphasised a return to the
language of the Bible, and the Fathers of the Church.
Second scholasticism was helped by the founding in
1540 of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) by Ignatius
Loyola with the approval of Pope Paul III.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_scholasticism

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Lutheran scholasticism (16th century)
Developed gradually during the era of Lutheran
Orthodoxy, primarily in response to the rise of second
scholasticism in Roman Catholicism.
Lutheran scholasticism utilized the scholastic form of
philosophic argumentation from the pre-Reformation
Church in order to define the Lutheran faith and
defend it against the polemics of opposing parties.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutheran_scholasticism

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The scholastics would choose a book
(say, the Bible) by a renowned scholar,
auctor (author), as a subject for
investigation. By reading it thoroughly
and critically, the disciples learned to
appreciate the theories of the author.
Other documents related to the book
would be referenced, such as Church
councils, papal letters and anything else
written on the subject, be it ancient or
contemporary. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism

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Once the sources and points of
disagreement had been laid out
through a series of dialectics, the
two sides of an argument would
be made whole so that they would
be found to be in agreement and
not contradictory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism

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2 Ways of argument analysis:
Philological analysis. Words were
examined and argued to have multiple
meanings.
Logical analysis, which relied on the
rules of formal logic to show that
contradictions did not exist but were
subjective to the reader.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism

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Two methods of teaching.
1. Lectio: a teacher would read a text,
expounding on certain words and ideas,
but no questions were permitted; it was
a simple reading of a text: instructors
explained, and students listened in
silence.
2. Disputatio, which goes right to the heart
of scholasticism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism

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Two types of Disputatio:
1. Disputationes: the first was the "ordinary"
type, whereby the question to be disputed was
announced beforehand;
2. Quodlibetal, whereby the students proposed a
question to the teacher without prior
preparation. Students then rebutted the
response. Teacher will summarise all
arguments and present his final position the
following day, riposting all rebuttals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism

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17. Neo-Scholastism
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Neo-Scholasticism is the revival and
development from the second half of the
nineteenth century of medieval scholastic
philosophy.
It has some times been called neo-
Thomism partly because Thomas
Aquinas in the 13th century gave to
scholasticism a final form, partly
because the idea gained ground that
only Thomism could infuse vitality into
12th-century scholasticism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-scholasticism

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Religion is the all-inclusive context of
human life, the truths of which we posses
by means of reason and revelation.
Religion is somewhat similar to that of
state with an authority of knowledge.
Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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Two Kinds of Theology
1. Natural Theology – reliance on the great
philosophers like Aristotle.
2. Supernatural Theology –
comprise of the teachings of
Roman Catholic Church – the
only institution stemming directly
from Christ and the Apostles, and
who is the oracle of the revealed
truth. Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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† Sacraments of the
Roman Catholic
Church.
† Priesthood which
administers the
sacraments.
† Rational approach
of logical
argument of
existence of God.
Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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Two ways of rational approach of logical
argument of existence of God:
1. External physical world we see
existence which is unyielding
independent of us is actual,
present, impersonal existence
2. Relations of cause and effect:
Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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1. External physical world we see existence
which is unyielding independent of us is
actual, present, impersonal existence
Different kinds of objects and entities which
possess through cycle of generation and
dissolution (change and decay)
Animal and human are born, grow, reach
their prime, decline, die, and decay
All the variety of essence – there is
commonness of existence
Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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2. Relations of cause and effect:
Common substratum of existence
There is ultimate efficient cause for all the
different varieties and stages of being which
constitute the physical universe
This ultimate cause is the Unmoved Mover,
that existence which is the common
foundation of all existing things.
This argument considered adequate to
demonstrate the existence or thatness of God.
Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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1. God is not extended.
2. However, God is immanent in His
creation.
3. God is absolutely subsistent.
4. In him, existence and essences are
identical.
5. God is pure actuality; there is no
potentiality in Him.
Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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6. God is perfect, actually.
7. The goodness of God and the being of God
are identical.
8. God is infinite in perfection, His goodness is
unlimited.
9. The eternity of God transcends all the time
limitations and measures.
10.God is one, of necessity, not two, nor many,
all other individuals excluded from being
what He is by virtue of what He is.
Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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Essential character that constitute a
man:
•Body is the material principle in man
•Soul is the rational-spiritual principle
in man
Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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Three specific things of man’s nature as
moral being and his moral conditions:
1.The natural and normal end he has as
his goal in life by virtue of his being a man,
and the power this ends has over his
action.
2.His possession of freedom of will.
3.The privations of his will which results in
sinful acts. Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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29. Strengths & Weakness
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1. Cardinal principle of Realism:
“Whatever is real is independent
of every finite individual who may
come to know it”.
2. Realism demands and recognizes
the importance of relation to that
which is beyond ourselves.
Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

30. Strengths & Weakness
Neo-Scholastism
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1) Reality is capable of interpretation.
2) Embrace pluralism in preference to a more
unified view of reality.
3) Dualism of the existence side and the value or
essence side.
4) Conception of the pupil is not adequate.
5) Realism as educational philosophy places too
much confidence in the transmission of content.
6) Too much stress upon the formation of the
pupil.
Butler, Donald J. Four Philosophies and Their Practices in Education and Religion

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