Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 210

186

ORGANIC DIVISION

§ 52.

[Div. II

able to influence effectually the process of discriminating the faculties.

But while

criticism of the division of scientific study, as

controlled by that of the faculties, and obligatory, Encyclopedic science to set out from this historic division. is

is

way

lawful

nevertheless

bound

in every

is

it

It is not to dissect

an

must take as its starting-point the body of science as it actually and historically presents itself it must trace the thought which has determined the course of this study; and, reinforced with this leading thought, it must critically examine that which actually is.

imaginary organism of science, but

it

;

Encyclopedia finds

is

no speculative, but a

the object of

development of science. sufficiently

positive, science

investigation in the

its

As long

;

it

actually given

as this object

had not

developed, the very thought of Encyclopedic

science could not suggest itself.

Its

study only begins when

the study of the sciences has acquired some form of perma-

Since historically Theology has called into

nency.

faculty of

its

own and

has presented

itself in this

life

a

faculty as

and since it is our exclusive aim to answer the question whether Theology takes a place of its own in the organism of the sciences it would be futile to For in the sketch the organism of science in the abstract. opponents this sketch and of our would case both of ourselves the sympathy or antipathy of necessity be controlled by which each fosters for Theology. Hence that Ave may have ground beneath our feet, we should not lose ourselves in speculative abstractions, but must start out from the historic course which, under the influence of the practical needs of life, has been pursued by the study of the sciences. Practically, now, we see that the theological faculty was the first to attain a more fixed form. Alongside of it, and following immediately in its wake, is the jui-idical faculty. Isext to these two is the slow growth of the medical, as a third The so-called philosophical faculty independent faculty. a complex of studies

;

;

finds its precursors in the Artistse

^

;

but

it is

a slow process

by which these surmount the purely propaedeutic character 1

Artistee

was the name

of the teachers of classic languages.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen