Philosophy 4990A/B Chapter Notes -Magisterium, Sacred Tradition
Document Summary
The autonomy which philosophy enjoys is rooted in the fact that reason is by its nature oriented to truth and is equipped moreover with the means necessary to arrive at truth. It is the task of the magisterium in the first place to indicate which philosophical presuppositions and conclusions are incompatible with revealed truth, thus articulating the demands which faith"s point of view makes of philosophy. It is necessary to keep in mind the unity of truth, even if its formulations are shaped by history and produced by human reason wounded and weakened by sin. The magisterium"s pronouncements have been concerned less with individual philosophical theses than with the need for rational and hence ultimately philosophical knowledge for the understanding of faith. In the past, the magisterium has on different occasions and in different ways offered its discernment in philosophical matters. Scripture, therefore, is not the church"s sole point of reference.