THE CHALLENGE TO THE TRADITIONAL IDEAL OF SCIENCE 465 



has SO long held it captive, and inspiring a revival of meta- 

 physical thinking. This applied even to those who profess the 

 way of subjectivity, since the reflective grasp of oneself ex- 

 tends to one's situation, which includes others, both persons 

 and things, and leads to the affirmation of inter- subjectivity 

 and of a real pluralism. The more significant trends in recent 

 philosophy are notable for their insistence on the distinction of 

 philosophy, and especially metaphysics, from scientific modes 

 of thought, and on its autonomy as the most radical discipline; 

 and these same philosophical movements devote themselves 

 untiringly to the defense of values, particularly such basic 

 human values as personality, freedom, responsibility, and fre- 

 quently also of art, religion and morality. In general, one may 

 say that today there is an intellectual climate more favorable 

 to the renewal of metaphysics than at any time during the 

 last hundred years. 



This situation is encouraging for the Thomist, but it implies 

 a responsibility on his part to be aware of these significant 

 developments, and to see the possible points of contact between 

 his and outside schools of thought, as well as to discern the 

 sources of confusion and misunderstanding that prevent a 

 proper appreciation of his own position. 



With regard to modern criticisms of his notion of philosophy 

 as a science, he can point out that much is now expected of 

 philosophy that properly pertains to religion, since religion has 

 ceased for so many to be a vital force. What many now seek, 

 in the name of philosophy, is really rather a Weltanschauung, 

 a general, all-embracing outlook on life, in which philosophy, 

 faith, convictions, traditions, affective leanings are fused to- 

 gether in a vital whole that is only partly rational. There is a 

 Christian Weltanschhuung, which includes a philosophy which 

 may therefore be called Christian without in any way denying 

 its intrinsic autonomy, and which can accept the new insights 

 and modes of investigation of other philosophies. Seen in this 

 way, much of what is valuable in modern philosophy appears 

 to be complementary rather than opposed to the Thomistic 

 synthesis, whose material object is extended to cover regions 



