Principes de Morale: Tome I—Exposé Systématique; Tome II—Compléments de Doctrine et d’Histoire by Dom Odon Lottin (review)

BOOK REVIEWS Principes de Morale: Tome /-Expose Systematique; Tome II-Oomplements de Doctrine et d'Histoire. By DoM OnoN LoTTIN. Louvain: Editions de l'Abbaye du Mont Cesar, 1947. Pp. 341 & 277, with Indexes. For many years the scholarly articles of Dom Odon Lottin on the historical background of St. Thomas' moral theology have been appearing in a number of scientific reviews. The fruits of this research have been and are being published in a three volume work, entitled: Psychologie et Morale aux XIIe et XIIJe siecles. The present work is, in a sense, more personal; it contains Dom Lottin's exposition of morality as he thinks it should be presented. Following the precedent established by some of his colleagues at Louvain, he has divided his work into two volumes, the first of which is a systematic presentation of general moral theology, while the second contains what might be called a series of extended footnotes to the text of the first. As the author remarks in his foreword, the understanding of moral principles is facilitated by placing them in their doctrinal and historical contexts. The first volume is concerned exclusively with the doctrinal context; the second volume, though not exclusively, presents the historical context. There are numerous helpful cross-references scattered through both volumes. There are also very excellent short bibliographies on many controverted questions of the recent past. There is an obvious, though understandable, lack of reference to many contributions made to these questions by scholars in the United States and Canada during the war years. * * * * * * * * Dom Lottin has written a rather lengthy introduction to his first volume on the nature of moral science, both philosophical and theological. To this we shall return. The- main body of this volume is divided according to what the author is pleased to call the theory and the practice of the moral life. The theory of moral life is exposed in four chapters dealing with: The Human Act from a psychological point of view; The Imputability of the Human Act; The Norms of Morality; The Morality of the Human Act. The practice of the moral life is treated also in four chapters: The Life of the Conscience, or the formation of the judgment of conscience; The Life of Virtue, or the formation of the judgment of prudence; The Life of Sin; The Life of Merit, or the Supernatural Life. The order of the second volume follows loosely that of the first, though the studies are independent of each other. Some are merely historical, 868 864 BOOK REVIEWS tracing the doctrinal development of certain moral ideas in the writings of twelfth and thirteenth century authors. Such are the notes on liberty (II) , indeliberate motions of the sense appetites (ill) , synderesis (IV) , eternal law (IX), the Thomistic definition of law (X), conscience (XI), intri!'lsic morality (XV) , the indifference of human acts (XVI) the obligation imposed by conscience (XVII) , tutiorism in the thirteenth century (XX) , " Ignorantia jum " (XXI) , the beginnings of the treatise on prudence (XXII) , the connection of the virtues (XXill) . Some of these notes are devoted to a study of the development of a certain doctrine in the thought of St. Thomas: the relations of the common good and the private good (VII) ; the norm of morality (XIV) . Other notes are accompanied by doctrinal considerations. Almost wholly doctrinal are the notes: the elements .of a human act (I) ; the relation between natural right and natural law (V), the first and second precepts of the natural law (VI, I), and so forth. Finally certain studies are concerned with controverted questions of the present: moral obligation (VIII) , norms of morality (Xill) , the influence of charity on the other virtues (XXIV) , the infused moral virtues (XXV) , moral imperfection (XXVIII) , and others. At the close of his foreword to the first volume, Dom Lottin expresses his adherence to the moral teachings of St. Thomas and also his independence as to the details of that system. It will be of interest to a Thomist to note where this independence has been manifested and discuss the worth of the reasons given. * * * * * * * * Dom Lottin starts his introduction with a discussion of the nature of moral science. Almost at once he chides...