A Philosophy of Submission by Henry V. Sattler (review)

BOOK REVIEWS in their structure and achievements the human being to an unexpected degree. But, one great difference persists: man's behavior, too, is regulated by " feed-back " and resembles in many respects the machine; yet, the kind of behavior man chooses, he chooses freely. However much he may be like a computation machine, he is a free agent; and no machine wiH ever be that. Obviously, there is ample matter for reflection in this volume. If it is not easy reading, it is highly rewarding. It is warmly recommended for thoughtful consideration. Georgetown University, Washington, D. C. RuooLF ALLERS. A Philosophy of Submission. By HENRY V. SATTLER. Washington: Catholic University Press, 1948. Pp. !i!H!, with index. $9.!.Q5. The subtitle of this dissertation is " A Thomistic Study in Social Philosophy ." Relying almost exclusively on the Summa Theologica of the Angelic Doctor, Father Sattler manages very neatly to construct a valuable philosophical work. His subject is timely. This fact the author does not fail to mention in his Introduction. He extends the importance of his material not only to the obvious fields of totalitarian and democratic government but likewise into the spheres of capital and labor, the family, and education. Written in a smooth and literary style with the advantage of good logical presentation, A Philosophy of Submission makes easy, enjoyable , and worthwhile reading. Dr. Sattler has divided his work into six chapters. In his first section, he treats of the nature of submission and its division. He points out that St. Thomas has no formal treatment of -the concept and hence the author must seek the word and its synonyms from the texts of the Angelic Doctor. Father Sattler defines submission generically as " the acceptance of ordination by anything " (p. 5) . This would include, the author continues, all creatures whether animate r inanimate, whether intellectual or nonintellectuaL However, the writer makes it dear that his concern is with human submission. The main interest, then, of the dissertation is with submission insofar as it is voluntary. "Voluntary submission is that which proceeds from the will with a knowledge of the end ... as end" (p. lQ). Here Fr. Sattler employs St. Thomas' doctrine on the voluntarium and draws out of it something of the nature of submission. From this analysis he makes an important threefold division of free submission: submission to subjugation, submission of perfection, and submission of degradation (p. 13) . Thus he anticipates what he later describes as the two vices and the virtue of submission. At the end of the first chapter, Dr. Sattler makes the following BOOK REVIEWS 287 observation: " From these brief considerations, it will immediately appear that submission in itself is neither good nor bad " (p. 18) . For the unwary reader this is certainly confusing. Since virtues are always good, one logically concludes that submission is not a virtue. Of course, we can justify this statement on the grounds that there are no special names to designate the three varieties of submission and hence submission without qualification can be either good or bad. In his next chapter the author examines the habits and acts of submission . Dr. Sattler considers love as a motive rather than a habit or act of submission. Because submission indicates a debt or obligation (p. !n), the matter for its further development will be taken from the realm of justice. The author then shows how submission has a part to play in the virtues of religion, piety, patriotism, observance, gratitude, and social justice. Mter all this, the author does not arrive at a distinct virtue called submission. That he wanted to or not is never indicated. He merely ignores the possibility. Indeed, he refers to the potential parts of justice just listed as " virtues of submission " (p. 33) . There is also a treatment of the acts of religion and these ar.e described as acts of submission. Although Dr. Sattler declares that obedience and submission are not the same thing, he admits that obedience is " so bound up with submission that what is said in general of subordination will have application in obedience as well" (p. 59). The third chapter considers the limitations of submission. It is here that the author...