From the series ‘60/60 the best of SPCh’ (1) [60 most interesting publications from 60 years of SPCh].
2025-01-11
Józef Iwanicki:‘Psychic’, ‘spiritual’ in man according to dialectical materialism and according to Thomism [Studia Philosophiae Christianae 1(1965)1, pp. 17-74].
DESCRIPTION: The text appeared as the second article published in SPCh in issue one of the journal in 1965. Its author is the co-founder and first editor-in-chief of SPCh, Rev. Prof. Józef Iwanicki, a logician, rector of the Catholic University of Lublin and then of the Academy of Catholic Theology in Warsaw. The style of this extensive article is characteristic of its author - a very structured and systematic lecture, strictly divided into marked points. This is not usually how one writes today. And the subject matter of the text is characteristic of the times in which it was written and of the early period of the SPCh, when articles on the philosophical discussion between Thomism and dialectical materialism were very often published in it. At the same time, it must be remembered that the texts of the time were subject to state censorship, which meant that the worldview polemic had to be toned down, although, as one can see by reading Iwanicki's article, it was very factual and honestly conducted, and at the same time interesting. From the perspective of the past 60 years, this text is an important testimony to those discussions and to the style of presentation of philosophical positions and the way they were evaluated. It is also worth noting that Ivanicki refers to the scientific perspective of the time in the fields of psychology and human biology. He concludes by stating unequivocally that ‘the Thomistic position is negative to the Marxist conception that considers the whole human compositum, and therefore “spiritual” and “corporeal”, as the result of material evolution’. But he also notes that In both conceptions, the methodological approaches are consistent and correspond to formed notions about the treated object or about the psychic reality of man.
SUMMARY: In analysing the Marxist conception of the ‘psyche’, we come to establish theses among which we distinguish - firstly - those which reject the views propounded by ‘anti-dialectical’ materialism - whether in its naturalistic form or in its panpsychistic, psychological or behaviourist form. Next - we have theses opposing the concepts developed by positivism and psycho-physical dualism. Finally - after these reflections on eliminationist tendencies - we begin the theme of construction. This theme contains - on the one hand - views on the content of the theses and, on the other hand, views on the ways of proving these theses. Here are the theses and their main consequences: the first thesis insists that ‘the spiritual’ is a property of matter organised to the highest degree; consequently - matter itself is a substantial entity, ‘the spiritual’ belongs to the realm of accidentality: and another consequence: there is nothing that can be separated from corporeal matter. The second thesis states that ‘the psychic’ arises as a result of the evolution and development of matter; consequently - matter is the cause of the appearance of the ‘spiritual’, and it is also matter that is the explanatory principle of the ‘spiritual’. The third thesis is that the human brain is the relevant source of ‘psyche’: ‘psyche’ depends strictly - from a functional and genetic point of view - on the brain. The analysis of the evidence shows that the premises are linked - on the one hand - to facts and, above all, to interpretations of facts; on the other hand, these links are directed towards the principles of the Marxist system. The analysis of the Thomistic conception of the ‘spiritual’ leads to four theses, the first of which shows that the hylemorphic theory is homogeneous and coherent. The proof of this thesis is based on a comparison between the substance structure of the animal and the substance structure of the human. The second thesis states that man is a simple being. This simplicity is demonstrated by the unity of the subject, the unity of existence and the unity of action: all tendencies form a harmonious and homogeneous system. The third thesis allows us to appreciate the ontological value of the ‘human psyche’: ‘the psyche’ - in its structure - is a substantial reality and - in its functions - is not subject to total internal dependence on the body. The fourth thesis concerns the genesis of the ‘psyche’ in man: this genesis is inadequately justified by the evolution of matter. This inadequacy reflects the facts established by palaeontology, genetics and other natural sciences. These theses form the core of the solution to a difficult problem, and the whole theoretical construction is in complete harmony with the Thomistic system. The final conclusion highlights the convergence and divergence of the two conceptions of ‘psyche’. The convergence is formal: it reveals itself in the steps taken by the two concepts to introduce - on the one hand - facts and their interpretation and - on the other - the principles of the respective systems - into the constructed evidence. The divergence appears in the tendency to give appropriate meanings to general views. In both concepts, the methodological approaches are consistent and correspond to formed notions about the treated object or about the human mental reality.
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