Early Medieval Philosophy by George Bosworth Burch (review)

BOOK REVIEWS however, deny him competence to sever the matrimonial bond with its inseparable natural obligations. Knowing this, and being but the intellectual instrument in this juridical act of applying the law in a particular case, the Catholic judge therefore intends only the purely. civil .effects of his sentence. This explanation by Fr. Bender of the Pontiff's words justifies the presence of the elements necessary for the application of the principle of the indirect voluntary. Although de facto the judicial sentence does create the observance in practice of the total effects desired by the legislator , this is entirely outside the intention of the judge. With similar argumentation Fr. Bender establishes as lawful in certain circumstances the petition of a spouse for a civil divorce. In his Prologomena Vlaming declared his purpose was to oollect into one tract all that future priests need to know about marriage, including not only the prescriptions of the law, but also what pertains to the doctrine of the faith, to moral and pastoral theology, and to sacred liturgy. Through the recent labors of Fr. Bender this fourth edition has certainly realized that purpose in our day. Professors of the tract de Matrimonio will lind this volume of inestimable value in helping in the understanding of the often complex matter treated, and in the preparation of lectures which will be more convincing due to the cogency of the arguments and reasons proposed here. This book can be strongly recommended to all who are in the market for a complete, up-to-date and readable manual in the broad field of matrimony. Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D. 0. NICHOLAS HALLIGAN, 0. P. Early Medieval Philosophy. By GEORGE BoswoRTH BURCH. New York: King's Crown Press, 1951. Pp. 150 with index. $2.50. The title of this book could easily lead one to believe that it does much more than " describe the doctrines of five outstanding philosophers " of the early Middle Ages. Professor Burch admits in a very brief preface that ". . . he cannot hope that there will be complete agreement as to which philosophers of the period are the most interesting or significant." We can infer then that the five medieval scholars who, in his opinion, most eminently qualify according to these criteria of significance and interest are the ones of whom he writes. He also tells the reader that his book is based entirely on the sources, most of these being found in Migne's Patrologia Latina. The book is divided into five chapters and a brief conclusion with BOOK REVIEWS 828 bibliography and notes for each chapter. A chapter is devoted to each of the following men: John Scotus Erigena, Anselm of Canterbury, Peter Abelard, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Isaac of Stella. Professor Burch contends that John Scotus Erigena ". . . was not so much the first medieval as the last ancient philosopher ..." (page 30} Ancient philosophy is distinguished from medieval insofar as the former was a search for truth whereas the latter was not. " Medieval philosophy no longer searched for truth, for it already possessed truth in the dogma of the Church; it was the attempt to understand that truth and explain how it is known." (Ibid.) According to Professor Burch, the real medieval philosophy begins in the eleventh century with Anselm of Canterbury. The center of interest for medieval as well as for modern philosophers is the knowledge problem. For the medieval thinkers, Professor Burch points out,"... the truth about the being of nature was given by Christianity, just as for modern philosophers it is gh:en by science." (page 31) The reader should then conclude that about all that remained for medieval thinkers to discuss was how they knew the truth that they already possessed, whether it was able to be known by reason or must be held by faith. The professor tells us that ". . . a controversy over this question heralded the dawn of medieval philosophy in the eleventh century." (Ibid..) Professor Burch's study of John Scotus Erigena is adequately and fairly presented. The professor is at pains to understand the latter's pantheism, and does much to help dispel the cloud that has hung over this ninth century philosopher. That John...