Efrem Jindracek

In 2024, it will be a hundred years since our Journal was introduced to the public under the name Unio Thomistica. The beginning of this Journal coincides with the encyclical of Pius XI, Studiorum Ducem, from 29 June 1923 and in May 1924, the first and only issue the first and only issue of the new journal so called, was published in Rome. For the year 1925, it went by the title Angelicum - Annuarium Unionis Thomisticae. Perhaps the greatest credit for the creation of it goes to two Hungarian Dominicans, Frs. Szadok Szabo (1869-1956) and Andras Haynal (1894-1966). As far as the contributors are concerned, they were largely professors of the Angelicum, but also a significant number were scholars from other institutes, clerics and priests, men and women from different countries. The Journal still maintains its Thomistic orientation as the University’s peer-reviewed academic journal, although the range of scientific topics has for several decades included not only theology, biblical studies, philosophy, law, and social sciences, but also art, history, pedagogy and psychology. Today it is regularly distributed in 28 countries in Europe, Asia, America and Australasia.

Many Christian-oriented philosophers also attempt to define the human person in terms of relation. This effort is obviously based on Trinitarian theology. But this approach is difficult to defend. The human person is located in categorical dimensions, as is “relation” or “substance.” The Holy Trinity, however, is beyond categorical terms. Here we do not even make do with mere analogy; even a so-called reduction is required here. In the real, created, categorial being, however, a relation (categorial or transcendent) can never retroactively establish its subject. On the contrary, the relation is its effect. Also interesting are the two versions of Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate of 2009, especially the Latin original (or version?).

Iconographic analysis of the pulpit in the former Dominican Church of the Virgin Mary in České Budějovice. The Rococo pulpit in the former Dominican Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in České Budějovice from 1759 stands out as a unique example of ‘pulpit art’ in the territory of the Czech Republic which was implemented through artistic means. This is a so far unexplored collection of wood carvings depicting little known episodes from the lives of Dominican saints (Saint Dominic, Thomas Aquinas, Hyacinth, Vincent Ferrer, Louis Bertrand and Saint Peter of Verona), accompanied by allegories of the four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa and America).

Many Christian-oriented philosophers also attempt to define the human person in terms of relation. This effort is obviously based on Trinitarian theology. But this approach is difficult to defend. The human person is located in categorical dimensions, as is “relation” or “substance.” The Holy Trinity, however, is beyond categorical terms. Here we do not even make do with mere analogy; even a so-called reduction is required here. In the real, created, categorial being, however, a relation (categorial or transcendent) can never retroactively establish its subject. On the contrary, the relation is its effect. Also interesting are the two versions of Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate of 2009, especially the Latin original.

In 2024, it will be a hundred years since our Journal was introduced to the public under the name Unio Thomistica. The beginning of this Journal coincides with the encyclical of Pius XI, Studiorum Ducem, from 29 June 1923 and in May 1924, the first and only issue the first and only issue of the new journal so called, was published in Rome. For the year 1925, it went by the title Angelicum - Annuarium Unionis Thomisticae. Perhaps the greatest credit for the creation of it goes to two Hungarian Dominicans, Frs. Szadok Szabo (1869-1956) and Andras Haynal (1894-1966). As far as the contributors are concerned, they were largely professors of the Angelicum, but also a significant number were scholars from other institutes, clerics and priests, men and women from different countries. The Journal still maintains its Thomistic orientation as the University’s peer-reviewed academic journal, although the range of scientific topics has for several decades included not only theology, biblical studies, philosophy, law, and social sciences, but also art, history, pedagogy and psychology. Today it is regularly distributed in 28 countries in Europe, Asia, America and Australasia.

Although the designation as “Thomist” is documented since the 14th century, the exact content and definition of this term must have been used only in modern times. Is Thomism a “science”, i.e., the “knowledge acquired through demonstration” that we can objectively recognize, or is it – at least partially – a doctrinal artifact of a certain historical development and compromise, which, can be rather documented and described? Does being a good Thomist merely mean knowing and faithfully defending the doctrinal heritage of Thomas Aquinas and his school, or something greater? The paper presents the necessity to identify “Thomism” with objective science and not the mere internal understanding of Aquinas’ doctrines, because the most important task for a serious Thomist is the demonstration of Thomistic doctrine by the arguments independent from Aquinas´ authority and according to an adequate methodology.

Paolo Barbò da Soncino conosciuto anche come il „Soncinas" (Soncinate) fu un domenicano italiano, filosofo e teologo tomista. Visse durante il periodo del rinascimento italiano nel XV secolo tra Bologna e Milano, morto a Cremona nel 1495. La suo apiù importante opera è proprio il commento alla Metafisica di Aristotele (Acutissimae quaestiones metaphysicales, 1 ed. Venezia 1498) che rappresenta una particolare sintesi del commentatore arabo Averrè, Tommaso d'Aquino, Erveo Natale († 1323) e Giovanni Capreolo († 1444). L'opera filosofica del Soncinate era spesso discusso tra il XVI e XVII secolo. Il libro offre la prima biografia scientifica dell'autore in italiano, e l'edizione critica del suo commento al IV libro della Metafica di Aristotele in latino. Paolo Barbò da Soncino called "Soncinas" was an Italian Dominican, Thomist philosopher and theologian. His life and work fall within the ambit of Italian Renaissance Thomism of the fifteenth century, between Bologna and Milano, died in 1495 in Cremona. His principal work, the exposition of Aristotle's Metaphysics, (Acutissimae quaestiones metaphysicales 1 ed. Venice 1498) proceeds from a particular synthesis of the Arabic commentator Averroes, Thomas Aquinas, Hervaeus Natalis (d. 1323), and John Capreolus (d. 1444). Soncinas' work and position were frequently discussed from the sixteenth to the seventeenth century. This study offers the first scientific biography, description and analysis of the method, sources and doctrine of Soncinas, in particular the critical Latin edition of the 4th book of his Acutissimae Quaestiones Metaphysicales (the exposition of Aristotle's Metaphysics).

Recenzní studie filosofického pojednání srovnávající posice Aristotela, T. Akvinského, D. Huma a I. Kanta ohledně účinné příčiny. Autor bere v úvahu také některé aspekty moderní vědy a argumenty analytické filosofie a srozumitelnými argumenty dospívá k obhajobě nutnosti principu kauzality. Review article of the philosophical dissertation comparing Aristotle, Thomas, Hume, and Kant's conception of efficient cause. Arguments notes some aspects of modern science and contemporary analytic philosophy. Intelligible arguments comes to defending aprinciple of necessary causality.

Recenze českého překladu knihy Josepha Gredta: Základy aristotelsko-tomistické filosofie, která podle autora nabízí solidní přehled neotomistické filosofie a její český překlad přispívá k formování české filosofické terminologie. Review of the Czech translation of the German book Joseph Gredt: Die aristotelisch-thomistische Philosophie, Freiburg im Breisgau, Herder 1935. This is a solid compendium of Neo-Thomistic philosophy, the Czech translation contributes to the formation of Czech philosophical terminology.

Petrus Nigri (Schwarz) se narodil západočeské Kadani (něm. Kaaden) kolem roku 1435 a spolu se svými třemi bratry vstoupil v Německu do dominikánského řádu. Během svého studia prošel velkou část Evropy (Německo, Itálii, Španělsko, Čechy a Maďarsko) a nakonec se stal rektorem generálního studia v Budíně (1481). Obecně je znám spíše jako význačný středověký hebraista. Do dějin filosofie se zapsal zvláště jako autor Clipeus thomsitarum (před r. 1474), což je filosofický komentář na Porfýriův Úvod (Isagoge) a na aristotelovské Kategorie, formou otázek. Třebaže Nigriho práce není originální, představuje v zaalpských zemích významnou recepci pojetí pomyslného jsoucna (Clipeus, část I, ot. 3-4) tak, jak ho koncipoval Hervaeus Natalis († 1323) ve svém traktátu De secundis intentionisbus. Petrus Nigri (Peter Schwarz, born in Kadaň/Kaaden before 1435, died in Buda 1483), is author of Clipeus thomistarum (printed 1481), a philosophical commentary on Porphyry's Introduction (Isagoge), and on Aristotle's Categories in the form of questions. While Nigri's discussion of the concept of being of reason (Clipeus thomistarum, part I, qq. 3-4) is not original, his work is important for contributing to this concept’s reception, and with it the teaching of Hervaeus Natalis (died 1323) in his treatise De secundis intentionibus, in the transalpine countries. Being of reason (ens rationis) is conceived as not a categorial being, nor is it an intellectual operation, nor is it caused, but is only identifiable by the human intellect. Nigri's being of reason has no subjective existence, but only an objective character, which differs both from categorial being and from mere nothingness.

Kniha Davida Peroutky Aristotelská nauka o potencích představuje neobyčejně zdařilou a podrobnou analýzu aristotelské nauky, obohacenou především o interpretace některých pozdějších západních aristoteliků, zvláště Tomáše Akvinského, s příležitostnými odkazy na Dunse Scota, Francisca Suáreze a na některé novodobé i současné filosofy, jak z okruhu analytické filosofie, tak na interprety aristotelské tradice jako Ursula Wolfová nebo Giovanni Reale. Kniha řší dvě hlavní otázky: V jakém smyslu potence existují a nakolik jsou reálnými součástmi věci? A jaký je poměr potencí ke kvalitám? David Peroutka’s book Aristotelská nauka o potencích (Aristotelian Doctrine of Potencies) is a very successful and detailed analysis of the Aristotelian doctrine, especially the enriched interpretation of some of the later Western Aristotelians, especially Thomas Aquinas, with occasional references to Duns Scotus, Francisco Suárez and some modern and contemporary philosophers, particularly within analytical philosophy in the Aristotelian tradition, like Ursula Wolf or Giovanni Reale. The book answers two main questions: In what sense do the potencies exist and how are they real parts of things? And what is the relation of potency to the qualities?