The Thomistic Institute Aquinas on Nature and the Natural: Endoxa and Principles – Fr. Raymund Snyder, O.P.
Sep 29, 2025
Fr. Raymund Snyder, O.P., a Dominican priest and philosophy scholar, dives deep into Thomistic natural philosophy, emphasizing Aristotelian principles. He discusses the complexities of defining nature and the significance of endoxa, or received opinions, in philosophical inquiry. Snyder contrasts modern interpretations of nature with Aquinas' views, highlighting act and potency as central concepts. He beautifully ties together the notions of form and substance, illustrating how these ideas shape our understanding of motion and existence.
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Poetry Reveals Philosophical Truths
- Gerard Manley Hopkins' poem gestures toward Aristotelian ideas about form and being in nature.
- Hopkins' lines show how a thing's activity reveals its inner nature and telos.
Indicate Rather Than Prove First Principles
- Indicate first principles rather than attempt full demonstrations of them.
- Use examples and gestures to make principles like non-contradiction and nature intelligible.
Start With Received Opinion
- Endoxa (received opinion) and doxography are indispensable starting points for philosophical inquiry.
- Aquinas and Aristotle begin by surveying past opinions to situate new reflection.
