Why Maritain and Wojtyla hold that Catholic Philosophy is Personalistic

Abstract

Taking its cue from the Vatican II (1961-5 A.D.) document Nostra Aetate (1965 A.D.), this essay argues that contemporary Catholic anthropology can be classified as ‘personalistic’ since it is properly governed by the complementary doctrines of Universal Divine Goodness, viz., that God the Creator leads each person to beatitude and, following from that, a teaching of objective teleology, viz., that each person has permanent union with God the Creator as his/her ultimate purpose. The latter teaching follows from the first since if it is held that God creates each person for beatitude, it is thereby implied that each person is structured for that end. All this stands against an inherited doctrine of Catholic anthropology that also contained teachings of Limited Divine Goodness, viz., that God the Creator only leads some to beatitude and, following from that, a doctrine of subjective teleology, viz., that some persons do not have permanent union with God the Creator as his/her ultimate purpose. This essay argues for the personalistic teaching, i.e., for the universal application of Divine Goodness and objective teleology, by analyzing three essays certain Catholic philosophers published in advance of Vatican II. While two of these are by Jacques Maritain (1882-1973 A.D.), the other is by Karol Wojtyla (1920-2005 A.D.). Despite the material differences in their essays, these authors argue for the personalistic doctrine mentioned above, and their principal thesis is further supported by considering certain writings of Wojtyla promulgated before and while he held the office of Roman Catholic Pope (1978-2005 A.D.).