What is Neo-scholasticism and its relation to Thomas Aquinas?

Neo-scholasticism is a revival and development of medieval scholastic philosophy and Catholic theology that emerged in the second half of the 19th century. Because of the massive influence of Thomas Aquinas on the movement, it is also frequently referred to as neo-scholastic Thomism or neo-Thomism. Unlike the diverse first scholasticism, neo-scholasticism was notably more intellectually homogenous and closely centered around Thomistic thought.

What we know

• Neo-scholasticism is a revival and development of medieval scholasticism in Catholic theology and philosophy that began in the second half of the 19th century. [2]
• The movement is also known as neo-scholastic Thomism or neo-Thomism due to the great influence of Thomas Aquinas's writings. [2]
• Neo-scholasticism was a distinct phenomenon in 19th-century Catholic thought that was more intellectually homogenous and intensely focused on the thought of Aquinas compared to earlier periods. [5]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow did medieval scholasticism function as a methodology?
• a case in pointWhat was the significance of Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the key movements in the history of philosophy?
• compared withHow did the first scholasticism differ from 19th-century neo-scholasticism?
• whenWhen did the revival of medieval scholasticism take place?
• an unexpected connectionHow did medieval monastic schools shape modern science?Monastic schools attempting to harmonize Aristotle and Catholic theology laid the foundational structures for early European universities and modern Western science.

Sources

• [1]Neo-scholasticism (Wikidata Q1573900) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Neo-scholasticism · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]List of philosophies · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]History of philosophy · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Scholasticism · CC BY-SA 4.0