Date of Award
1929
Document Type
Thesis
Keywords
Scholasticism, Thomism, Modern Science, Philosophy of Science, Cosmology, Astronomy, Conservation of Energy, Origin of Life, Evolution, Catholic Philosophy
Abstract
This thesis, completed at Xavier University of Louisiana in 1929, argues that Scholastic philosophy, and the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas in particular, supplies an intellectual foundation that unifies the findings of modern science. Johnson takes up the common charge that Scholasticism is a barrier to scientific progress. She contends instead that it is the one philosophy able to answer the ultimate questions of “whence” and “how” that science cannot address on its own.
Johnson tests this claim against several fields in turn: astronomy, geology, physics, chemistry, and psychology. In astronomy, she reviews competing theories of the origin of the solar system, including the nebular, planetesimal, and great star theories. She also discusses the conservation and dissipation of energy and the nature of atoms, affinity, and valence. In each case she pairs the scientific account with a Scholastic explanation. In her treatment of psychology, she considers the origin of life, evolution, and the nature of the human soul, and she concludes that true philosophy cannot conflict with scientific truth.
Note: No original abstract was included; this abstract is provided by the XULA Digital Commons editors.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Alice Veronica, "Scholasticism an Intellectual Basis and Unifying Principle of Modern Science" (1929). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 167.
https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/etd/167
Included in
Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons, Catholic Studies Commons, Philosophy of Science Commons