Reality: A Synthesis of Thomistic Thought by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange (PDF)

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⭐My lone qualification for reviewing Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange’s (1877-1964) Reality is having read it. I’m a lay Catholic with exactly two other Thomistic works under my belt, Aquinas’ own

⭐and Edward Feser’s

⭐.

⭐I mistook the subtitle, “A Synthesis of Thomistic Thought” to mean that Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange was not only assembling the system of thought that bears the Saint’s name, but also packaging it for easy access to the lay person. This is not the case. Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange insists on an informed reader, and I had to work hard to understand large swaths of Reality, mostly by looking up terms and concepts in

⭐and similar online resources. A beginner can learn a great deal from this book, but only if he’s willing to take the extra time to understand the precision the subject demands.The author begins with a brief three-chapter synopsis of (1) the Saint’s philosophical writings, (2) his theological works and (3) his commentators. From there, the book is divided into eight parts; the first six cover the dogmatic portion of the Summa, the seventh speaks to the moral portions, and the eighth deals with developments and confirmations in and of Thomism since the time of its foundation (namely, the twenty-four theses, realism and first principles, realism and pragmatism, ontological personality, and efficacious grace):1. Metaphysical Synthesis of Thomism2. Theology and De Deo Uno3. The Blessed Trinity4. Angel and Man5. Redemptive Incarnation6. The Sacraments of the Church7. Moral Theology and Spirituality8. Developments and ConfirmationsI particularly enjoyed the discussion on Grace:”Nothing comes to pass, either in heaven or on earth, unless God either brings it to pass in mercy, or then in justice permits it. This principle, taught in the universal Church, shows that there is in God a conditional and antecedent will, relative to a good which does not come to pass, the privation of which He permits in view of some higher good. To this principle we must add another: God does not command the impossible. From these two revealed principles derives the distinction between God’s efficacious consequent will and His antecedent will, which is the source of sufficient grace.”Also, in Chapter 50, on the discussion on the theological virtues, Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange begins with the virtue of Faith, and like much of the rest of this work, it’s like being smacked in the brain with a 2 x 4 – and loving it:”The consequences of this doctrine for the spiritual life are very pronounced. We see them in the teaching of St. John of the Cross on passive purification of the spirit. Faith is purged of all human alloy in proportion to its unmixed adherence to its formal motive, at a height far above the motives of credibility, including all accessory motives, life in a believing community, say, which facilitates the act of faith.”And then this:”Thomists are one in recognizing that the act of infused faith is founded on the authority of God who reveals, and hence that God is both that by which and that which we believe, as light, to illustrate, is both that by which we see, and that which is seen, when we see colors.”Continuing:”We may follow this doctrine down a long line of Thomists. Capreolus writes: “With one and the same act I assent, both that God is triune and one, and that God revealed both truths. By one and the same act I believe that God cannot lie, and that what God says of Himself is true.” Cajetan writes: “Divine revelation is both that by which (quo) and that which (quod) I believe. Just as unity is of itself one without further appeal, so divine revelation, by which all else is revealed, is accepted for its own sake and not by a second revelation. One and the same act accepts the truth spoken about God and the truthfulness of God who speaks. This acceptance of the first truth as revealing, and not that acquired faith by which I believe John the Apostle, or Paul the Apostle, or the one Church, is the ultimate court of appeal. The infused habit of faith makes us adhere to God as the reason for believing each and every revealed truth. ‘He that believeth in the Son of God hath the testimony of God in himself.'” This same truth you will find in Sylvester de Ferraris, in John of St. Thomas, in Gonet, in the Salmanticenses, and in Billuart.”In this last referenced paragraph, you get a good flavor of the Thomsistic School (Neo-Thomism) Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange leverages throughout this work to form the Thomsitic Synthesis.I know I’ll have to make a few more trips through this work to fully understand it, but some of the larger themes of Thomism are starting to come into focus. I highly recommend this book, with a few caveats:1. It is not a casual read for the casual reader.2. There are plenty of typos in this book – it could really benefit from a proof-reader.3. I have a feeling that the translation is not the greatest, although I have nothing to compare it to.

⭐This book is roughly 400 pages, 50 of which are endnotes/references. It lacks a decent index (the “index” it has is basically an adumbrated table of contents). The lack of an index is my only complaint. So what is the book about, exactly? Who is it geared towards? I will try to answer these questions.I. Essentially, this work of Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange is a more or less a summary of St. Thomas’s thought, both philosophical and theological (and how St. Thomas distinguishes the two). It is presented in an ordered, coherent fashion and is based around the 24 Thomistic theses. The view is this: an adherence to traditional Dominican Thomism. Predictably, the work frequently refers to the Summa on many points. However, this is not all the work does. It also contrasts the views of following Thomists and other medieval philosopher with St. Thomas’s thought. For instance, Suarez’s or Scotus’s view of a point is given. Following this, a brief refutation in a Thomistic vein is made against the opposing view. Frequently the source of these refutations is Cajetan or the Salamanticenses. If a point is disputed by conventional Thomists (i.e., not eclectic), Garrigou-Lagrange will try to point out the proper way by referring to declarations of Church councils and sound reasoning.Due to the relative brevity of the work, the author is compelled to touch only on the main points. However, he does so in an informative manner which is always reasonable and erudite. He always distinguishes things that can be known by reason (and to what extent) and things that can be known by faith. Along the way, Garrigou-Lagrange presents the various viewpoints of the differing sides on Thomistic debates, say, for instance, how St. Thomas viewed the Immaculate Conception and explains why he chooses the angle he does. Particularly invaluable are the extensive endnotes that refer to each side of the debates. It’s a valuable research tool. Quite importantly, he distinguishes Thomism from eclectic Thomism, a distinction that has frequently been ignored in past decades. He also explains what distinguishes Thomistic thought from other forms of thought.II. So who is the book written for? To understand the book, one must know some philosophy and true theology (Catholic). Aristotelian philosophy is especially necessary since the Fr. Reginald uses these terms extensively. Hence, one unfamiliar with these terms will be reading a foreign language. A dictionary of scholastic terms would be handy. An extensive Latin background is not necessary but a little knowledge of it would help here and there. This book is not an easy read. The style is dry and some parts are very difficult. A college student with a a bit of philosophy and traditional theology and a good teacher to help him along the way could get through it. A college graduate with a background in Aristotle could as well. It was probably meant as a seminary textbook, although I’m not certain. All that having been said, even someone with a slight knowledge of philosophy could probably get something out of it, just not all that much.In a word, then, this work is a summary of St. Thomas’s thought, both philosophical and theological, but the distinctions between the two sciences are flawlessly retained. Various disputes throughout the history of Thomism (from outside and within) are examined. As mentioned previously, the only problem with this work is the lack of a decent index. I hope this helps any potential buyers.As one reviewer mentioned, ex-fontibus is reprinting the book and, at least for now, it can only be purchased through them. They’re easily found with an online search. They only sell a softbound edition at present, but it is attractive and well-bound.

⭐This is an excellent summary of the philosophical and theological doctrines os st. thomas aquinas. The author, Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, is perhaps the greatest commentator on st. thomas’ doctrine in the 20th century. The author’s thesis can be stated as : “God or radical absurdity” meaning that the existence and knowability of things outside the mind as well as their intellectual, rational coherence depends on the doctrine of Creation. Thus, the denial of God the Creator leades to radical absurdity: skepticism, subjectivism and total incoherence regarding the existence of things and their real relations. Anyone who knows the history of philosophy from Descartes to the present can find ample evidence of this (in philosophy, ethics, politics, culture and even in some aspects of science like evolution { necessity and chance in evolution, by definition, contradict each other}. A former professor of philosophy who knew St. Thomas confirms the author’s thesis when he said to me “God is another name for non-contradiction”. Without the permanent anchor of God as Creator of the world we are condemned to ceaseless change, without an origin, and with no purpose or meaning.

⭐I highly recommend. Do not be intimidated by the first chapters which appear to assume that the reader is already well-versed in the concepts under discussion. As the book moves on the author unpacks these ideas and constantly returns to the core concepts to help drive the understanding home.

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