Neo-Thomism

Neo-Thomism stands as one of the most influential currents in Western European philosophy of the twentieth century. This philosophy traces its roots to the teachings of the thirteenth-century scholastic, Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), from whose name the movement derives its designation.

The necessity for a revival of religious philosophy in the twentieth century was underscored by a series of factors, which proponents of this direction elucidated as follows. Firstly, the failures of the so-called New Philosophy, beginning with the Renaissance, have led to an unbroken chain of deviations and errors, manifesting not only in the spiritual reality of the Western world but also imprinting a crisis upon the entire social fabric. Thus, the premise of neo-Thomist worldviews is that "the world lies in evil." The global problems facing humanity are seen as the result of an increasing chasm between people and God, stemming from a "falling away from the true source of being." If these issues are not addressed in a timely manner, the entire cosmos risks impending destruction. Neo-Thomists identify their primary task as overcoming the chaos of contemporary life, achieving clarity and purity of being with and for God, and rekindling lost spiritual values.

Secondly, the rapid advancement of science, particularly the natural sciences during the Modern era, has, according to neo-Thomism, yielded not only positive outcomes but also negative consequences. Specifically, science diverts contemporary individuals from understanding the significance of moral and religious ideals. Humanity has placed excessive faith in science, whereas, according to neo-Thomist ideas, science is neither capable of nor meant to resolve questions regarding the ultimate causes of being and the meaning of human existence. Science examines secondary causes and the external (functional) relationships of phenomena. A pivotal concept within neo-Thomism is that of personality, which cannot exist apart from freedom, self-awareness, and the manifestations of spiritual creativity. The person is of intrinsic value; all individuals possess equal moral worth, irrespective of their social origins, societal positions, nationalities, or skin colors.

The inception of neo-Thomism is marked by the publication of Pope Leo XIII's encyclical "Aeterni Patris" ("Eternal Fathers") in 1789. In this document, the philosophy of Saint Thomas was proclaimed as the sole philosophical doctrine consistent with the foundations of Catholic dogma. From this point forward, the study of the philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas became mandatory in all Catholic educational institutions and spread to non-Catholic universities as well. This period marks the emergence of neo-Thomism as a philosophical trend seeking to re-evaluate the philosophical heritage of Saint Thomas, modernizing his teachings and adapting them to contemporary contexts.

The main centers of neo-Thomistic philosophy include the Roman Academy of Saint Thomas (founded in 1891) and the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, where the Higher Institute of Philosophy was established in 1893. Subsequently, Catholic universities emerged in Paris, Milan, Munich, Freiburg, and several other European cities.

Notable representatives of neo-Thomism include Jacques Maritain and Étienne Gilson (France); M. Grabmann, K. Bäumker, I. de Vries, I. Lotz, K. Rainer, and H. Falk (Germany); D. Mercier, D. Nis, L. Noël, and M. de Wulf (Belgium); A. Jeremy and D. Crapel (Italy), among others.

Similar to medieval Thomism, contemporary neo-Thomism is neither a singular nor a monolithic philosophical doctrine. There exists a multitude of schools and directions within neo-Thomism itself, each modernizing or reinterpreting the teachings of Aquinas to varying degrees, often borrowing ideas from other philosophical movements such as phenomenology, existential philosophy, and critical realism.

The most orthodox (closest to medieval Thomism) is the Roman School. The most influential trend within neo-Thomism is what is known as "existential" Thomism, represented prominently by Jacques Maritain and Étienne Gilson.