'Veritas vincit'.Commonweal com·mon·weal n. 1. The public good or welfare. 2. Archaic A commonwealth or republic. Noun 1. arrives late here, and in the press of apostolic duties, I have little free time. I only recently read the October 10, 2003, editorial ("A Remarkable Presence") on the twenty-fifth anniversary of John Paul The name John Paul might refer to: Full name
A person's intellectual orientation is best defined by his epistemology: How do I come to know and trust what I consider to be truth? One thing is clear in John Paul II's more theoretical statements (Splendor veritatis, Fides et ratio Fides et Ratio (Latin: faith and reason) is an encyclical promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 14th September, 1998. It deals primarily with the relationship between faith and reason. The Pope in this encyclical condemns modern philosophies bound with nihilism and relativism. ): he is convinced that he (and all humankind) can arrive at truth. But Karol Wotyla has had little formal orientation in the basic metaphysical epistemology of Thomas Aquinas. His writings do not reflect a moderate realism Moderate realism as a position in the debate on the metaphysics of universals holds that there is no realm in which universals exist, but rather universals are located in space and time wherever they are manifest. A universal, like greenness, is supposed to be a single thing. based on human experience. Rather, the pope has a quasi-neo-Platonic epistemology that supplies him with an a priori a priori In epistemology, knowledge that is independent of all particular experiences, as opposed to a posteriori (or empirical) knowledge, which derives from experience. certainty of truth, which he invites us to share. The sciences (physical, social, psychological) cannot touch the certainty of these eternal truths. Thus his views on sex, contraception, abortion, women--independent from the church's magisterium--are simply eternally, unchangeably true. This epistemology is what gives stability and strength to Splendor veritatis. Carl Bernstein and Marco Politi's book on John Paul II John Paul II, 1920–2005, pope (1978–2005), a Pole (b. Wadowice) named Karol Józef Wojtyła; successor of John Paul I. He was the first non-Italian pope elected since the Dutch Adrian VI (1522–23) and the first Polish and Slavic pope. (John Paul II and the Hidden History of Our Time) describes how he seems to listen and ask questions of other people, but at bottom, he does not really dialogue; he simply invites others to share the real truth which he already possesses. I think it would be helpful to continue a careful, critical analysis of Karol Wotyla's epistemology to understand the strong dogmatic thrust of his teaching office. (REV.) ERNEST RANLY Lima, Peru |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion