CHAPTER in 



THE SCHOLASTIC POSITION 



Scholastic Philosophy and Catholic Dogma Matter and 

 Form Mineral, Vegetable and Animal Forms or 

 " Souls "The Human Soul. 



As the object of this book is not merely the 

 discussion of the problem of Vitalism, but the 

 discussion of that problem hi its philosophical 

 aspect from the point of view of the scholastic 

 system, it is of the first importance to set out 

 what that position is, and this must now be at- 

 tempted. This is the more necessary since the 

 chief books which have appeared on the sub- 

 ject of Vitalism have ignored or misunderstood 

 the scholastic position.* 



To commence with, it is necessary for readers 



to disabuse themselves of the idea, if they 



Scholastic should possess it, that the teachings of Scholas- 



Philosophy t j c philosophy are " doctrines " of the Catholic 



Theology Church. The idea exists and even hi quarters 



* I allude here to two books of prime importance men- 

 tioned in the note on p. 19. I shall have to quote 

 frequently from both these books, and note here their 

 excellence and the significance of their almost complete 

 indifference to the scholastic views. 



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