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THE THOMIST A SPECULATIVE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY EDITORS: THE DoMINICAN FATHERS oF THE PROVINCE OF ST. JosEPH Publishers: The Thomist Press, Washington 17, D. C. VoL. XXVIII APRIL, 1964 UNDERSTANDING ACCORDING TO BERNARD J. F. LONERGAN, S.J. PART I No.2 SINCE the publication of Insight 1 there has been a gradually increasing awareness of the significance of Father Lonergan's thought. Yet, those who attempt to study Lonergan's works encounter serious obstacles. Many of his basic ideas are developed in a theological context which the philosopher finds unfamiliar; his most recent books are written in Latin. Insight by-passes these theological and linguistic barriers . Yet, the non-scientist may find Insight's extensive development of scientific understanding an even more formidable obstacle to his own understanding. Finally, the sheer bulk of his book, the novelty of its methodology, and the complexity of its development makes personal assimilation a difficult task. A guided tour of Lonergan's thought may be of some assistance 1 Bernard J. F. Lonergan, S. J., Insight: A Study of Human Understanding (New York: Philosophical Library, 1956). 97 Pages 97-258 reprinted by Kraus Reprint Co. 98 EDWARD M. MACKINNON in skirting these road-blocks. We hope to do this by concentrating on a theme which is central to Lonergan's thought, the importance of understanding what understanding is. Except for incidental remarks, criticism will be reserved to a third article. Here, a precautionary note is in order. The present study is not intended to be an introduction to Lonergan's thought, for adequate introductions have already been written.2 Rather, it pre-supposes a familiarity with Lonergan's basic positions and attempts a synthetic view of his integral development. This, unfortunately, implies that some points which cry out for clarification are relegated to a sentence or a qualifying phrase. Only by sacrificing such amplification could we present an orderly over-all view of the variety of elements fused in his synthesis. One of the most distinctive features of Insight, the "moving point of view," is motivated by the realization that understanding develops gradually. In the same spirit it may be well to start by sketching the development of Lonergan's own understanding . As a part of his training as a Jesuit, Father Lonergan studied philosophy at Heythrop College in England. While there he also studied mathematics at the University of London. Two books which influenced his ideas on the nature of knowledge at this critical period were Newman's Grammar of Assent and Joseph's Introduction to Logic.3 During his course of theology he worked in collaboration with another Jesuit who had studied philosophy under Marechal. Thus, he was influenced by the Louvain school in an indirect way.4 After obtaining a 2 See Frederick E. Crowe, S. J., "The Origin and Scope of Bernard Lonergan's Insight," Sciences Ecclesiastiques, IX, (1957), 263-95; Andrew J. Reck, "Insight and the Eros of the Mind," Review of Metaphysics, XII (1958), 97-107; Joseph de Finance, S. J., "Une Etude sur !'intelligence humaine," Gregorianum, XXXIX (1958), 130-36; Bernard Lonergan, S. J., "Insight: Preface to a Discussion," Proceedings of the Amer. Cath. Phil. Assoc., XXXII (1958), 71-81; and the reviews written at the time of publication. 8 Horace W. Joseph, An Introduction to Logic (2nd ed. rev.; Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1916). • The similarity between Lonergan's development of philosophy and Marechal's UNDERSTANDING ACCORDING TO B. J. F. LONERGAN, S. J. 99 doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome, he concentrated on a protracted critical study of St. Thomas. It was a problem-centered approach, tracing, in a detailed way, the development of key questions in Thomas' predecessors, remote as well as immediate, and the growth of Thomas' own understanding. From these studies, and others, came the six works which supply the principal basis for the present study. 1. The "Gratia" Series.5 These articles do not treat Lonergan 's theory of knowledge directly. However, the detailed causal analysis of mental and volitional operations given there supplied a foundation for his later development. ~- The "Verbum" Series.6 This study was motivated by a peculiar theological difficulty. St. Thomas...

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