Thomas Aquinas and Contemporary Scientific Thought
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53439/stdfyt55.28.2025.11-38Keywords:
Thomas Aquinas, natural sciences, science and philosophy, thomism, science and faithAbstract
After a brief Introduction that seeks to contextualize the work of Thomas Aquinas within the science of his time (Section I), I offer a bibliographical review of the main publications that have appeared in the time elapsed since then up until the last International Thomistic Conferences (Section II). Next, I examine the relevance of Thomas Aquinas in the interdisciplinary dialogue between philosophy, theology and natural sciences, briefly developing three perspectives, namely: his contribution to the clarification of the philosophical premises of the sciences, to the judgment on the correctness of their implications and to the deepening of the intelligibility of his analysis of reality (Section III). Finally, I present the new questions that the sciences pose today to Thomistic philosophy, suggesting what synthesis between science, philosophy and theology could still inspire Aquinas’ thought (Section IV).
Downloads
References
Agazzi, E. (1978). Il messaggio di Tommaso d’Aquino e la razionalità scientifica del mnostro tempo. In Congresso Internazionale Tommaso d’Aquino nel suo Settimo Centenario, Tommaso d’Aquino nel suo VII Centenario: Atti del Congresso Internazionale: Vol 9: Il cosmo e la scienza (pp. 60-67). Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Agazzi, E. e Minazzi, F. (1995). Filosofia della natura: scienza e cosmologia. Piemme.
Artigas, M. e Sanguineti, J. J. (1989). Filosofia della natura (E. Agazzi, pref.). Le Monnier.
Augros, R. M. (2002). Nature Acts for an End. The Thomist, 66(4), 535-575. https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2002.0038
Augros, R. M. (2004). Reconciling Science with Natural Philosophy. The Thomist, 68(1), 105-141. https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2004.0040
Bagood, A. (2009). Believing Today with St. Thomas Aquinas: Science, Philosophy & Religion. Angelicum, 86(1), 261-276. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44616567
Bauerschmidt, F. C. & Fodor, J. (2004). Aquinas in Dialogue : Thomas for the Twenty-first Century. Blackwell.
Bertelè, F., Salucci, A., Olmi, A. e Strumia, A. (1999). Scienza, analogia, astrazione. Tommaso d’ Aquino e le scienze della complessità. Il Poligrafo.
Carreño, J. E. (2015). From Self Movement to Esse: the Notion of Life and Living Being in Thomas Aquinas. Angelicum, 92(3), 347-376. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26392516
Carreño, J. E. (2017a). The Possibility of an Artificial Living Being in the Light of the Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. Angelicum, 94(4), 635-671. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26506544
Carreño, J. E. (2017b). La filosofía tomista ante el hecho de la evolución del viviente corpóreo. Centro de Estudios Tomistas-Ril Editores.
Carroll, W. E. (2003). La creación y las ciencias naturales. Actualidad de santo Tomás de Aquino. Universidad Católica de Chile.
Carroll, W. E. (2005). Aquinas, Thomas. In T. F. Glick, S. Livesey & F. Wallis (Eds.), Medieval Science, Technology and Medicine. An Encyclopaedia (pp. 35-39). Routledge.
Casanova, C. A. (2019). A Restatement of the Fifth Thomistic Way to Prove the Existence of God. Angelicum, 96(1), 29-60. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26753729
Congiunti, L. (2005). Dalla Physica alla fisica. Galileo e i gradi di astrazione. In Atti del X Congresso Internazionale su l’umanesimo cristiano nel III millennio, la prospettiva di Tommaso d’Aquino (Vol. 2, pp. 909-927). Pontificia Academia Sancti Thomae Aquinatis.
Congiunti, L. (2010). Lineamenti di filosofia della natura. Urbaniana University Press.
Congiunti, L. (2017). Ordine naturale e caso secondo Tommaso d’ Aquino. Espíritu, 66(154), 303-323. https://revistaespiritu.istomas.org/ordine-naturale-e-caso-secondo-tommaso-d-aquino/
Congresso Internazionale Tommaso d’Aquino nel suo Settimo Centenario. (1978). Tommaso d’Aquino nel suo VII Centenario: Atti del Congresso Internazionale. Roma-Napoli, 17-24 aprile 1974. Edizioni Domenicane Italiane.
Congresso Tomistico Internazionale. (1982). Atti dell’VIII Congresso tomistico internazionale: L’Enciclica Aeterni Patris nell’arco di un secolo: Vol. 7. L’uomo e il mondo nella luce dell’Aquinate. Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Congresso Tomistico Internazionale. (1992). Atti del IX Congresso tomistico internazionale. Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Davies, B., & Stump, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Aquinas. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195326093.001.0001
Dodds, M. J. (2009). Unlocking Divine Causality: Aquinas, Contemporary Science, and Divine Action. Angelicum, 86(1), 67-86. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44616556
Dodds, M. J. (2012). Unlocking Divine Action. Contemporary Science & Thomas Aquinas. Catholic University of America Press.
Dodds, M. J. (2014). Science, Causality, and God: Divine Action and Thomas Aquinas. Angelicum, 91(1), 13-36. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26392440
Edwards, D. (2010). How God Acts: Creation, Redemption, and Special Divine Action. Fortress.
Elders, L. (1997). The Philosophy of Nature of St.Thomas Aquinas: Nature, the Universe, Man. P. Lang.
Fayos Febrer, R. (2005). Realismo y ciencia: volver a Tomás. In Atti del X Congresso Internazionale su l’umanesimo cristiano nel III millennio, la prospettiva di Tommaso d’Aquino (Vol. 2, pp. 928-940). Pontificia Academia Sancti Thomae Aquinatis.
Feser, E. (2016). Philosophy of Mind. Oneworld Publications.
Feser, E. (2019). Aristotle’s Revenge. The Metaphysical Foundations of Physical and Biological Sciences. Editiones Scholasticae.
Freddoso, A. J. (2015). No Room at the Inn: Contemporary Philosophy of Mind Meets Thomistic Philosophical. Acta Philosophica, 24(1), 15-30. https://www.actaphilosophica.it/article/view/3811
Galli, G. (1978). Cosmologia aristotelica e cosmologie moderne. In Tommaso d’Aquino nel suo VII centenario: Vol 9. Il cosmo e la scienza. Edizioni Domenicane Italiane.
George, M.I. (2001). Aquinas on Intelligent Extra-terrestrial Life. The Thomist, 65(2), 239-258. https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2001.0028
Goyette, J. (2002). Substantial Form and the Recovery of an Aristotelian Natural Science. The Thomist, 66(4), 519-533. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tho.2002.0037
Grygiel, W.P. (2001). Quantum Mechanics: A Dialectical Approach to Reality. The Thomist, 65(2), 223-238. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tho.2001.0027
Grygiel, W.P. (2002). The Metaphysics of Chaos: A Thomistic View of Entropy and Evolution. The Thomist, 66(2), 251-266. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tho.2002.0016
Hipp, S. A. (2012). Nature’s Finality and the Stewardship of Creation According to Saint Thomas Aquinas. Nova et vetera [english ed.], 10(1), 143-191. https://stpaulcenter.com/11-nv-10-1-hipp/
Hoonhout, M. (2005). Tomás de Aquino y la necesidad de una cosmología teológica contemporánea. Nova et vetera [ed. español], 3, 737-760.
Jossa, F. (1978). Attualità di S. Tommaso nel problema del rapporto fra scienza e fede. In Congresso Internazionale Tommaso d’Aquino nel suo Settimo Centenario, Tommaso d’Aquino nel suo VII Centenario: Atti del Congresso Internazionale: Vol 9: Il cosmo e la scienza (pp. 123-139). Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Kenny, A. (1993). Aquinas on Mind. Routledge.
Kretzmann, N. & Stump, E. (Eds.). (1993). The Cambridge Companion to Aquinas. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CCOL0521431956
Maldamé, J.-M. (2001). San Tommaso e i fondamenti della scienza. Annales theologici, 15(1), 283-306. https://www.annalestheologici.it/issue/view/188/110
Maldamé, J.-M. (2007). L’évolution et la question de Dieu. Revue Thomiste, (4), 531-560.
Mason, P. (2005). Modern Science and the Material World. In Atti del X Congresso Internazionale su l’umanesimo cristiano nel III millennio, la prospettiva di Tommaso d’Aquino (Vol. 2, pp. 953-961). Pontificia Academia Sancti Thomae Aquinatis.
Mondin, B. (1991). Scienza. In Dizionario Enciclopedico del pensiero di san Tommaso d’Aquino (pp. 553-556). ESD.
Mondin, B. (2002). Tommaso d’Aquino. In G. Tanzella-Nitti e A. Strumia (Eds.), Dizionario interdisciplinare di scienza e fede (2125-2140). Urbaniana University Press.
Morerod, C. (2007). Quelques athées contemporains (Comte-Spongille, Dawkins, Le Poitevin, Onfray) à la lumière de S. Thomas d’Aquin. Nova et vetera, 82(2), 151-202.
Oakes, E.T. (2013). Dominican Darwinism: Evolution in Thomist Philosophy After Darwin. The Thomist,77(3), 333-365. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tho.2013.0013
Pontificia Academia Sancti Thomae Aquinatis. (2004-2006). Atti del X Congresso Internazionale su l’umanesimo cristiano nel III millennio, la prospettiva di Tommaso d’Aquino (3 vols.). Pontificia Academia Sancti Thomae Aquinatis.
Possenti, V. (2002). Vita Natura Teleologia. Aquinas, 45, 31-58.
Postigo Solana, E. (2005). L’anima in Tommaso d’Aaquino. Morte cerebrale e problemi in bioetica. In Atti del X Congresso Internazionale su l’umanesimo cristiano nel III millennio, la prospettiva di Tommaso d’Aquino (Vol. 2, pp. 962-976). Pontificia Academia Sancti Thomae Aquinatis.
Ramelow, A. (2015). Miracles: Finite and Infinite Agents: How Aquinas Would Distinguish Divine Revelation from Deception. Angelicum, 92(1), 57-92. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26392491
Rickert, K. (2006). Evidence for Teleology. A Thomistic Analysis. Aquinas, 49, 365-379.
Russell, R. J., Murphy, N. & Stoeger. W. R. (Eds.). (2008). Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action. Twenty years of challenge and progress. Vatican Observatory Publications-The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences.
Sanguineti, J. J. (1977). La filosofía de la ciencia según santo Tomás. Eunsa.
Sanguineti, J. J. (2006). La filosofia del cosmo in Tommaso d’Aquino. Ares.
Sanguineti, J. J. (2007). Filosofia della mente. Una prospettiva ontologica e antropologica. Edusc.
Sanguineti, J. J. (2014). Neuroscienza e filosofia dell’uomo. Edusc.
Sanguineti, J. J. (2019). Can we Compare Aquinas’ Philosophy with Modern Science? Forum. Supplement to Acta Philosophica, 5(1), 421-435. https://doi.org/10.17421/2498-9746-05-26
Stevens, C. (2012). Saint Thomas Aquinas and Evolution. Angelicum, 89(2), 433451. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44618602
Strumia, A. (1999). (Ed). Scienza, analogia, astrazione: Tommaso d’Aquino e le scienze della complessita. Il Poligrafo.
Strumia, A. (2002). Analogia. In G. Tanzella-Nitti e A. Strumia (Eds.), Dizionario interdisciplinare di scienza e fede (pp. 56-70). Urbaniana University Press.
Strumia, A. (2009). Il problema dei fondamenti. Un’avventurosa navigazione dagli insiemi agli enti passando per Gödel e Tommaso d’Aquino. Cantagalli.
Strumia, A. (2017). Dalla filosofia della scienza alla filosofia nella scienza. Edusc-SISRI.
Tabaczek, M. (2015). Thomistic Response to the Theory of Evolution: Aquinas on Natural Selection and the Perfection of the Universe. Theology and Science, 13(3), 325–344. https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2015.1053761
Tabaczek, M. (2016). Emergence and Downward Causation Reconsidered in Terms of the Aristotelian-Thomistic View of Causation and Divine Action. Scientia Et Fides, 4(1), 115-149. https://apcz.umk.pl/SetF/article/view/SetF.2016.010
Tabaczek, M. (2019). What Do God and Creatures Really Do in an Evolutionary Change? Divine Concurrence and Transformism from the Thomistic Perspective. American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, 93(3), 445-482. https://doi.org/10.5840/acpq2019514179
Tabaczek, M. (2021). Divine Action and Emergence: An Alternative to Panentheism. University of Notre Dame Press.
Tanzella-Nitti, G. (1997). The Aristotelian-Thomistic Concept of Nature and the Contemporary Scientific Debate on the Meaning of Natural Laws. Acta Philosophica, 6(2) 237-264. https://doi.org/10.17421/1121_2179_1997_06_02_TanzellaNitti
Tanzella-Nitti, G. (2004). L’ontologia di Tommaso d’Aquino e le scienze naturali. Acta Philosophica, 13(1), 139-157. https://doi.org/10.17421/1121_2179_2004_13_01_TanzellaNitti
Tanzella-Nitti, G. (2015). La credibilità del cristianesimo. In Teologia fondamentale in contesto scientifico (Vol. 2, pp. 708-753). Città Nuova.
Tanzella-Nitti, G. (2018). Il contributo di Tommaso d’Aquino alla comprensione del rapporto fra scienze naturali e teologia della creazione. In S.-T. Bonino e G. Mazzotta (Eds.), Dio creatore e la creazione come casa comune: prospettive tomiste (pp. 137-154). Urbaniana University Press.
Thompson, C. (2012). Perennial Wisdom. Notes Toward a Green Thomism. Nova et vetera, 10(1), 67. https://stpaulcenter.com/05-nv-10-1-thompson-2/
Thompson, C. (2017). The Joyful Mystery. Field Notes toward a Green Thomism. Emmaus Road.
Trundle, R. & Bramble, G. (2005). If Miracles are Caused by Nature’s God, can there be Scientific Truth? Aquinas, 48(3), 443-456.
Verschuuren, G.M. N. & Koterski, J. W. (2016). Aquinas and Modern Science: a new Synthes is of Faith and Reason. Angelico Press.
Wallace, W. A. (1968). Thomism and Modern Science: Relationships Past, Present and Future. The Thomist, 32(1), 67-83. https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.1968.0061
Wallace, W. A. (1970-1980). Thomas Aquinas. In C.G. Gillispie (Ed.). Dictionary of Scientific Biographies (Vol. 1, pp. 196-200). Scribner’s.
Wallace, W. A. (1983). From a Realist Point of View. Essays on the Philosophy of Science. University Press of America.
Wallace, W. A. (1996). The Modeling of Nature. Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Nature in Synthesis. The Catholic University of America Press.
Wallace, W. A. (1997). Thomism and the Quantum Enigma. The Thomist, 61(3), 455-467. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tho.1997.0022
Wallace, W. A. (2000). Thomas Aquinas and Thomism. In G. B. Ferngren (Ed.), The History of Science and Religion in the Western Tradition: An Encyclopedia (pp. 137-149). Garland.
Wallace, W. A. (2001). Science and Religion in the Thomistic Tradition. The Thomist, 65(3), 441-463. https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2001.0004
Wippel, J.F. (2014). Aquinas on Creation and Preambles of Faith. The Thomist, 78(1), 1-36. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tho.2014.0000
