Dietrich von Hildebrand Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty Part 1

by Alice von Hildebrand

The Happy Marriage of Truth and Love it also has the inevitable consequence of condemning the any Platonic insights are and will remain victim of error to a split personality. This being “torn” is a gift to mankind. After twenty-five powerfully formulated in Saint Mark’s Gospel referring to centuries, we can still feed on their the devil himself, who declares that “our name is legion.” wisdom; truth can never become stale. He cannot be “unified.” M Both Plato’s Laws and The Republic A superficial acquaintance with history confirms this contain educational gems that “modern man” would do view. To one’s amazement, how often do we find out that well to adopt. This was well formulated by Charles Peguy: men whom we admire and look up to fall into grievous “Homer is fresh and new this morning, while there is noth- sins and aberrations. Let us recall the terrible downfall ing, perhaps, as old and tired as today’s newspaper,” (A of King David – “ a man to God’s liking.” Thanks to the Book of French quotations, compiled by Norbert Guter- Prophet Nathan, his eyes were opened and he repented. man, Double Day Anchor books, p. 387). When I was a child, I fell in love with Solomon: he was Plato writes that one of the main tasks of education young, beautiful, wise, anxious to be God’s faithful servant. is “to unify men in the good” (The Republic, IV, 14). He These qualities enchanted me. The last years of his life, he knew that we are split beings, torn between conflicting had seven hundred concubines. This was deeply troubling tendencies within ourselves. This explains why most of our to my childish mind. He certainly was not “unified.” problems are self-created. He writes; “all men are publicly Henry VIII was honored by the Pope and declared a one another’s enemies, and each man privately his own…” Defensor fidei. Alas, falling prey to an illegitimate passion, (Laws, no. 626); and further: “there is a war against our- he became responsible for a tragic breach in the Church. selves going on within every one of us…” (Ibid). True as it is that man is a split moral personality, this is To become “one” is no easy task. This unification is pos- also true of his intellectual life. Rare, very rare, are those sible only through grace, a passionate love for truth which thinkers whose thought follows a straight line throughout implies a firm will to overcome the steady temptation to their lives. This does not mean that there cannot be a “prefer himself (i.e. oneself) to the truth” (Laws, 731–732). development of their thought; but rather that there is an in- This is once again a key insight of Plato. He puts the follow- ner harmony throughout their work as it develops. Where ing words in Socrates’ mouth: “I am interested in nothing there is harmony, there is music. And truth always sings. but the truth” (Euthyphro); and truth must wage an endless Metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and social war on an endless catalogue of errors. Not only does error ideas should all be parts of one and the same symphony. inevitably separate men from other men (it is sheer illusion As hinted above, it is rarely the case. to believe that dictatorial relativism will unite people), but I am not only referring to the contradictory views

38 Summer 2013 Dietrich von Hildebrand: Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty defended by one and the same thinker at different periods Love of Truth of his life. This can be excused if the thinker is prolific Dietrich von Hildebrand is remarkably unified. This essay and lives a long time. He often forgets in his later years is dedicated to proving this point. Whether we read his what he wrote earlier. I am not only referring to develop- earliest works or the very last one, there is a clear continu- ments in an author’s thought which lead him to correct ity that is manifest (a bud developed into a flower) and a his previous assertions. The great Saint Augustine saw distinct integration found in his religious, philosophical, truths later in life that he denied immediately after his political, social, and human views. There are no “surpris- conversion. Conscious of this, he wrote his Retracta- es” in his works. His social views harmonize with his eth- tiones, a good example that philosophers should follow. ics and his ethics, epistemology, and aesthetics rest on the Rather, I am thinking of philosophers like David Hume very same foundation: the objectivity of truth and moral whose works are at times a tedious litany of platitudes values. Later in life he enlarged, enriched, and developed and blatant errors that may suddenly (“absentmindedly”) his earlier insights constituting what the revered Cardinal hit upon a truth. This is what Plato had in mind when Newman described as “a development of doctrine.” he wrote “The worst author will, at Whether we turn to his metaphys- times, say something which is to the Whether we read his earliest ics (unpublished), to his epistemolo- point” (in Phaedrus: 243). works or the very last one, gy, six volumes of ethics, aesthetics, I am also thinking of philoso- or social and political views, they phers like Nietzsche who – being there is a clear continuity that all sing the same tune: identical a “genius”’ has the “privilege” of is manifest (a bud developed hierarchy of values, absolute priority contradicting himself. He can refer to given to the supernatural, personal women in the most revolting terms; into a flower) and a distinct over the impersonal, the key role “when you go to a woman don’t for- integration found in his of Truth, and the priority of moral get your whip” or, “One cannot think religious, philosophical, values over other values (such as too highly of women” (Die Unschuld intellectual, aesthetic, or vital). In des Werdens. 82 –305), and then political, social, and human his metaphysics he shows that apart declare them to be superior to men: views. There are no “surprises” from the abyss between God and all “The perfect woman is a higher type His creatures, the deepest divide is than the perfect man” (Jenseits von in his works. His social views between personal and impersonal. Gut und Boese Genealogie der Moral harmonize with his ethics and Then he orders God the Person par 76 – 87). He accuses the weaker sex his ethics, epistemology, and excellence, angels, and human be- of having “a disgust for truth,” yet ings; on the other side are all other declares that “truth is the type of error aesthetics rest on the very same beings, living and non-living. This that some men cannot do without” foundation: the objectivity of key idea illumines all his works. (Ekel an der Wahrheit). truth and moral values. In his epistemology, devoted to My concern is mostly about think- proving that there is truth and that ers like G. E. Moore – an objectivist man’s mind can reach certitude, he in aesthetics and a radical relativist in ethics – a relativism shows that, once again, in knowledge there is a hierarchy; that led him to the absurd claim that murder should be the highest form is intellectual intuition – in which one condemned only as long as men object to being killed. He perceives that certain truths refer to facts characterized is intellectually split. by inner necessity, luminous intelligibility, and therefore It would be tempting to write a book on the history of capable of giving us absolute certainty – followed by philosophy pointing to the “split” personalities of famous deduction, and induction, the latter incapable of granting thinkers. Husserl – author of the great work: Philosophical the same type of certainty. Investigations – a powerful refutation of psychologism No doubt, his conversion to Catholicism shortly after – defends radically different ideas in his later work The receiving his doctorate had a profound influence on the Ideas. development of his thought. But – and this is crucial – he Max Scheler’s late writings trample upon the very deep never confused Faith and reason, theology and philosophy. insights that he had developed in his earlier life. He never claimed to be a theologian, but there is no doubt Some are baffled by Jacques Maritain’s arch conserva- that his overwhelming joy upon entering the Holy Ark tism in philosophy and his very liberal political and social purified and deepened his intellectual insights and that his views (liberation theology) as exemplified by his “blessed reason became able to see truths that were not visible on the friendship” with the agitator and Communist, Saul Alinski. screen of his consciousness before his mind was “baptized.”

Summer 2013 39 Dietrich von Hildebrand: Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

The point I wish to emphasize is that he experienced, God. For the rest of his life, he never had any difficulty in his own intellectual life, that the human mind (except bowing to the voice of Peter in matters of faith and morals. the Blessed One) had been affected by original sin and ob- scured the perception of natural truths Love of God that were luminous before the Fall. How When he entered the on many of us assume that “because we do Holy Saturday April 11, 1914, together not see, there is nothing to be seen”? with his wife, his joy was overwhelm- Few have the humility to acknowledge ing. He was the happiest convert in that they suffer from myopia. Not . Whereas when C. S. Lewis, surprisingly, most of these truths refer to after a long conflict, “yielded” to grace, the ethical sphere (mathematics dealing he called himself the most despondent with “neutral” truths is necessarily less convert in England (Surprised by Joy). “infected”) dealing with the question of How did his faith affect his mind? He “how we should live.” It is a domain in knew that God had given him a pure gift which there are commands and prohibi- – a remarkable talent for distinguish- tions “threatening” to man’s “freedom ing truth from error and shedding light of choice.” This is obviously a field on confused issues. This is why, at age where rebellion is a classical temptation. fifteen, while reading the dialogues of This is why, while taking instructions Plato, he KNEW that philosophy – the in the Faith, Dietrich von Hildebrand love of wisdom – was his calling. His Dietrich von Hildebrand acknowledged that he could not see father – a dyed-in-the-wool relativ- why artificial birth control was ist – was not happy about his immoral. The Franciscan priest His conversion to Catholicism son’s decision. To his mind, who was giving him instruc- shortly after receiving his doctorate philosophy was something “up tion (Father Holzapfel) told to the individual,” a matter of him bluntly: “either you accept had a profound influence on the opinion. It could not possibly the totality of the Catholic development of his thought. But – and be a serious profession. But Faith, or I cannot take you into this is crucial – he never confused already in 1904, the teenager the Church.” Without a mo- knew what his vocation was: ment’s hesitation, the young Faith and reason, theology and jacta est alea. He mentions in man, twenty-four at the time, philosophy. He never claimed to be a his Memoirs that one day, as he answered: “Credo ut intel- was taking a walk with his old- ligam,” “I believe in order to theologian, but there is no doubt that est sister Nini (almost thirteen understand,” the famous words his overwhelming joy upon entering years his senior), she tried to of Saint Anselm already found, the Holy Ark purified and deepened convince him that “everything I believe, in Saint Augustine. was relative.” The teenager Faith had conquered. But the his intellectual insights. challenged her views. Piqued by amazing thing is that he writes the fact that she had not won the that this act of intellectual humility had the instantaneous fight, when they got home she complained to their father, consequence of opening his eyes: HE SAW. From this mo- “Imagine Gogo (his nickname) does not want to admit ment on, he became an ardent champion of the Church’s that everything is relative.” To which the father said; “But teaching. He challenged the unfortunate decisions of the Nini, he is only fourteen.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Lambeth Conference in l930. He was the first Catholic to the boy retorted: “ Dad, if you have no better argument defend Humanae Vitae in l968 when, alas, many Catholic against my position than my age, your position rests on theologians and philosophers expressed their opposition in very weak ground.” a letter to the New York Times. As with Saint Augustine, the very word “truth” made He writes in his Memoirs that up to the time of his his heart beat faster. Inevitably this passionate love for conversion, he naively assumed that he was the supreme truth as formulated in propositions, was going to lead him authority. He knew that he had a clear and powerful mind. to Truth Himself; and Truth Himself calls not only for Was that not enough to discover truth? Grace had now acceptance but for adoration. touched his soul, and he rejoiced in submitting to a higher His Ph.D. dissertation was dedicated to an ethical authority – knowing that its teaching was coming from theme: Die Idee der Sittlichen Handlung. So was his

40 Summer 2013 Dietrich von Hildebrand: Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

Habilitation; but interestingly enough, in the second, he responds with love. There are three steps: to perceive addresses himself to the question of “moral blindness,” a beauty; to be moved by beauty; to respond to beauty. theme that would resonate throughout the rest of his life. But human love is limited: it longs for eternity, yet is Was his temporary blindness to the immorality of arti- time bound and pitifully finite. It longs for perfection; and ficial birth control instrumental in opening his mind to the alas, our love is a very anemic love. He perceived that – like threat of “moral blindness” as a universal ethical problem? the man in the Gospel who said: “I believe, O Lord, help my The answer is probably yes. unbelief,” he too had to pray, “I see; His next work was on Saint Fran- but heal me from my blindness.” Now cis. It was to reading the life of this he could say, “I love; help my love most popular and lovable of all Saints to grow.” Now a totally new “world” that he “owed” his conversion. Such opened up to him. He “saw” that love a publication was most unwise from a not only had to be baptized but could professional point of view. What were be baptized, and thereby come closer “German Scholars” – the most re- to the perfection for which it longed. spected men in that country – to think Baptized love was in fact a partaking of a professor writing a pious book? It of Christ’s love for the beloved. This was unworthy of a Ph.D. and a black fact enabled the lover to give his love mark on the reputation of the author in the eternal stamp for which it longed this temple of secular wisdom. and could not attain on its own. All This lack of “professional pru- the benefits that the lover would like dence” was to remain one of the marks to shower on the loved one (from a of his disastrous career. modest flower to precious jewels, The Marriage of the Virgin by Rosso Fiorentino quite apart from words of kindness) Love and Marriage now found their glorious fulfillment The young philosopher then turned his in wishing ardently the holiness and attention to one of the key questions He “saw” that love not only sanctification of the beloved: to see of human existence: Marriage – the had to be baptized but could him come ever closer to Christ. This very foundation of society. As a sheer be baptized, and thereby come became the most ardent wish of the grace (when he did not have the faint- lover (something vaguely intuited by est idea what grace was) Dietrich von closer to the perfection for Plato when he wrote “…educate him Hildebrand, already as a youngster, which it longed. Baptized love (the beloved) into the manner and was deeply convinced that the mean- nature of the god as far as they can… ing of the intimate sphere was to be was in fact a partaking of ” Phaedrus, 253). May my loved an expression of (spiritual?) love. It Christ’s love for the beloved. one – possibly through my love – was a self-donation in love to one’s love Him more and more. This is the spouse and implied a commitment for life. A similar “il- humble wish of the true Christian lover. This most noble of lumination” came when he wrote his book Reinheit und all goals cannot be achieved without grace, that is the grace Jungfraulichkeit. Once again, as a teenager he had already of the Sacrament of Matrimony. grasped – through an unmerited grace – that the intimate Clearly the basic characteristics of love, intentio sphere is no plaything. There is a character of mystery unionis and intentio benevolentiae, will, through Faith, the about it that calls for reverence. This is how God protected Sacrament of Marriage, and the innumerable blessings of him from deplorable sins affecting very many young men sanctifying and actual graces, open the door to a baptized at the time of puberty. But upon entering the Church, a love – the beauty and tenderness of which no pagan could totally new reality became foremost in his mind: Marriage possibly conceive. Through his conversion, the sublimity was a Sacrament – a means of sanctification – in which of consecrated virginity was a gift he received when he the spouses are deigned to collaborate with God, in the entered the Church. possible creation of a new human being. Procreation is not copulation. God alone creates the soul of the child. Love of Purity and Virtue His conception of love was to be profoundly enriched Now another gift of faith – the mystery, beauty, and by his faith. He had always seen – following Plato – that sublimity of consecrated Virginity – opened up to him in love perceives beauty in the beloved (response to value). all its splendor when he entered the Church. In 1927 he This beauty touches one’s heart, and the person then published In Defense of Purity. He “saw” what he could

Summer 2013 41 Dietrich von Hildebrand: Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty not perceive before: the glorious beauty of a total, absolute whatever reason, could never find a husband. But the idea donation of oneself to God as an expression of love. It is of freely renouncing what he considered to be the greatest a mystical marriage and has all the features of marriage: a human good – a happy marriage – would not and could not total self donation, but on a sub- have entered his head. lime level that cannot easily be The very word “eunuch” perceived except by “those who naturally evokes in us a feeling have freely chosen to be eunuchs of “compassion.” A eunuch is for the kingdom of God.” a crippled being – someone no Marriage – by itself – does one can possibly envy. But the not explain the mystery of vir- very moment that one adopts a ginity. But virginity sheds new supernatural posture, the whole and sublime light on marriage. picture changes radically: far For the higher sheds light on the from being a deprivation, it lower; the lower cannot explain becomes a glorious jewel, a the higher. flower whose sublime perfume The publication of this great never fades. Whereas the vows book – as relevant today as it of obedience and poverty have was when first published – was an “ascetic” dimension and not to the taste of the respect- aim at liberating us from the able faculty of the University of ever present temptation of Poem of the Soul - Virginity by Anne-Francois-Louis Janmot . One of them dubbed concupiscence and the attraction it a “text book for high school of pleasure, the call to virgin- girls.” It was not considered Marriage – by itself – does not ity is much deeper and comes scholarly – why did the young explain the mystery of virginity. But from another source: it is not a thinker not write a book on means, but a fulfillment of the Sieger of Brabant? This would virginity sheds new and sublime light deepest longing that the human give him the intellectual on marriage. For the higher sheds heart is capable of: a total dona- standing needed for ascending light on the lower; the lower cannot tion of onself to God Himself. in the sacred hierarchy of the The free and joyous sealing of University. The problem was explain the higher. the mysterious sphere of sex is, that Dietrich von Hildebrand in fact, a sublime wedding. knew the key importance of the It was a revelation: that one virtue of purity and had little interest in devoting his time should freely and joyfully give up the great and noble to a secondary thinker. From a purely professional point of good of marriage for the sake of the Kingdom (not as an view it was, however, unwise. ascetic practice, but as an expression of ultimate love) not Deeply significant is the fact that the latter part of the only opened up for him a new dimension of the super- book mentioned above is dedicated to Virginity. I wish natural but – and this is something which I would like to to emphasize emphatically that the discovery of a “bridal underline – considerably deepened and purified his under- relationship with Christ” was not only going to affect standing of marriage and his deep conviction that the love profoundly but also to deepen and purify his understand- between spouses will only blossom completely in heaven ing of marriage. where neque nubent neque nubentur. As I wrote in The Soul of a Lion, Dietrich von Hildeb- Even though the part dedicated to Virginity comes at rand always considered marriage to be a commitment for the end of In Defense of Purity, in some way it should be life based on mutual love and the key to human happiness. placed at the beginning, for his whole understanding of In the hundreds of pages that he dedicates to his life prior nuptial love, as a vow taken and a bond forged in front to 1914, never – and for obvious reasons – did he mention of God – the keys of which belong to Him – can best be consecrated virginity. It could not register on the screen of understood through the total self donation of a Virgin to his intellectual and human vision prior to his conversion. It Christ. Marriage then receives a new glow and clearly would not have made sense. To choose to be a bachelor for can only blossom when grounded in the supernatural. the sake of comfort, convenience, and selfishness aroused Eros could only find its fulfillment in Agape: a love in and his “pity.” The case of old maids is usually different as through Christ. To quote Saint Augustine: “How can one there are many girls who wish to get married but, for love more than God those (whom) one loves in Him”? In

42 Summer 2013 Dietrich von Hildebrand: Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty fact – respecting the whole hierarchy of loves from nuptial be one because a couple of years earlier he attended a Peace love to friendship to love of neighbor – all these loves Congress in Paris where, when asked what he thought of the should be a partaking of Christ’s love for His creatures. invasion of Belgium on August 4, 1914, he loudly pro- Needless to say that love of neighbor is possible only in claimed that it was an “atrocious crime.” and through the supernatural. Natural The Putsch collapsed, but the love is possible without faith, even poison – seemingly eliminated – soon though it will remain a crippled and re-appeared and was perceived only imperfect love. by those willing to see. The danger Thanks to his faith, purity ac- was the glorification of the State and quired for him another splendor and the absolute precedence given to the depth, and simultaneously enabled Leviathan over the individual person. him to perceive more deeply how He took his pen and wrote a book (un- deplorable and offensive to God fortunately not translated) dedicated any abuse of this sphere is, and the to the relationship between individual profound connection between purity and community, stressing that if there and veiling. This is why, in this great is a hierarchy of values, there is also book, he not only shows the beauty of a hierarchy of communities. It was, the intimate sphere, intended by God and remains today, a great book much to be an expression of nuptial love, needed in our time, whose principles but he also insists that this sphere is cannot age. one exposed to grave moral dangers, But alas, his political fears were not only because of its fascinating fully justified, and when Hitler and inebriating character, but also Dietrich von Hildebrand became Chancellor of Germany on because it can easily fall into the January 30, 1933, he knew he could clutches of the Evil One who delights no longer stay “in a country headed in filth and perversion. Let us men- It meant choosing poverty by a criminal” (this is how he always tion black masses and pornography and exile and a future that was referred to the Fuehrer). This meant – the moral cancer destroying our unknown. But his love for truth “give up everything” – the beautiful society. Sex heroes such as Alfred house built by his father which had Kinsey, Masters and Johnson, and and justice prevailed, he never become a center of Catholic culture Hugh Hefner come to mind. Was it hesitated. in Munich, his teaching at the univer- not Saint Augustine who wrote: “tell sity, most members of his family, his me whom you love (or admire); I will friends. It meant choosing poverty and tell you who you are.” exile and a future that was unknown. But his love for truth It is not easy to baptize pleasure – a field in which and justice prevailed; he never hesitated. Like Gregory VII, the Devil achieves his easiest victories. Platonic wisdom he hated iniquity was persecuted and died in exile. This was manifested itself once again when he wrote that one of the what God called him to – whatever the price. aims of education is to teach a child “to achieve victory He did not want to be an “ivory tower” philosopher and over pleasure.” fully endorsed the words of Kierkegaard: “Every religious writer, or speaker, or teacher, who absents himself from Love of Justice, Hatred of Iniquity danger and is not present where it is, and where the Evil has Dietrich von Hildebrand’s “no compromise” dedication to its stronghold, is a deceiver…” (The Point of View of my Truth and Moral Values was a portend of the attitude he Life as an Author. p. 59) Harper Torchbooks. ✠ adopted toward nascent Nazism. The evil character of this To be continued in the next issue. political philosophy which was going to shake Europe to its very roots was, alas, neither perceived nor challenged by Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, wife of philoso- many intellectuals. At the outset, Dietrich von Hildebrand pher Dietrich von Hildebrand, is an inter- condemned its philosophy both in his talks and writings. nationally known philosopher and author Not surprisingly he was on the Nazi black list in l923, and of numerous books, most recently Man And had to escape to Wuerttenberg on November 8th of that fatal Woman: A Divine Invention. Talks by Dr. year. Had he fallen into the hands of Hitler and his cronies, Alice von Hildebrand can be found on our website www. he would have been shot as a traitor. He was considered to KeepTheFaith.org

Summer 2013 43 Dietrich von Hildebrand Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty Part II

by Alice von Hildebrand Dietrich von Hildebrand

las, Dietrich von Hildebrand’s political try now his victim and which he would ultimately bring to fears were fully justified; and when Hitler ruin. All his worst expectations were realized. He had been became Chancellor of Germany on January accused again and again of pessimism, of “exaggerating the 30, 1933, he knew he could no longer stay danger.” Cassandras are never popular. Day after day, ter- A “in a country headed by a criminal” (this is rible news reached him: Jewish professors were fired, some how he always referred to the Fuehrer). This meant “giv- were openly mistreated; a dear friend of his wife threw ing up everything” – the beautiful house built by his father himself under a train as an expression of his despair. which had become a center of Catholic culture in Munich, Concentration camps were “housing” anyone who, either his teaching at the university, most members of his fam- because of blood or clear-sightedness, was considered “an ily, his friends. It meant choosing poverty and exile and a enemy of the Reich.” Hitler was only imitating Russia’s future that was unknown. But his love for truth and justice Stalin who proved, in the long run, to be a more efficient prevailed; he never hesitated. Like Gregory VII, he hated mass murderer. iniquity, was persecuted, and died in exile. This was what To his disgust and horror, Dietrich von Hildebrand God called him to – whatever the price. received a form from the University of Munich that he was He did not want to be an “ivory tower” philosopher and asked to complete. One question was: “Arian or non-Arian.” fully endorsed the words of Kierkegaard: “Every religious Without a moment’s hesitation he wrote in bold letters writer, or speaker, or teacher, who absents himself from Non-Arian to show his solidarity with a persecuted people. danger and is not present where it is, and where the Evil has He was subsequently dismissed from the University. In the its stronghold, is a deceiver...” (The Point of View of My Life meantime, was enjoying La Primavera Fioren- as an Author p. 59) Harper Torchbooks. tina – concerts, parties, galas. Europe was on the brink of a Taking only a couple of suitcases, with a hundred precipice, and people were dancing. That was the situation Deutsche Marks in his pocket, he and his wife Gretchen before the flood: people were enjoying themselves and all left for Florence to the ever-hospitable villa San Francesco of a sudden they were drowned. This will also happen at the where his second sister, Lisl Brewster (married to an Ameri- end of time, before the Second Coming. can who had become an Italian citizen), was now queen. Typically for him, feeling like a lion in a cage, he turned In the course of the next six months, he went through a to The Consolations of Philosophy. His alter ego, Siegfried very dark period. His personal situation was totally inse- Hamburger was living in San Francesco at the time, tutoring cure; but the primary cause of this darkness was that he saw, Dietrich von Hildebrand’s enchanting niece, Cloclo. Once day after day, the political monster who dominated Germany again, they turned to their great passion – philosophizing extending his deadly tentacles more and more over a coun- together. For hours on end, they tackled difficult problems.

34 Fall 2013 Dietrich von Hildebrand: Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty Architecture

This time all of their attention was on epistemology. Within July 25, 1934. Once again, let me quote Plato: “... I must a few weeks, Dietrich von Hildebrand’s important work on dare to speak the truth, when truth is my theme” (Phaedrus, this subject was completed. (Because of the war, it was not 247). “Dare” is the right word, because to do so was to published until much later, and then translated into English endanger one’s life. This was the fate of Socrates; and death under the title What is Philosophy?) It would be his only was the price that the Holy One had to pay for not only important purely philosophical contribution until nine years speaking the truth but also declaring “I am the Truth.” Saint later. His mission was to step into the arena and fight. Paul’s lament: “Have I then become your enemy by telling In August 1933, he suddenly saw a ray of light on the you the truth?” (Gal. 4:17). It is dangerous to speak the menacing political horizon. Engelbert Dollfuss had become truth, in season and out of season. Dietrich von Hildebrand Chancellor of (he was only forty-three at the time) knew it, yet he never hesitated to enter the arena – he who and gave expression to his clear-sightedness toward Nazism. was not “physically courageous” like some men whose Dietrich von Hildebrand decided to go to Vienna and offer pride is in taking risks and who do not hesitate to put their his intellectual services to the Chancellor. His plan was to ask life in jeopardy to prove that they are “above fear.” His him to finance a magazine aimed at opening people’s eyes to remarkable moral courage was clearly supernatural. He was the horror of Nazism and to fight for the freedom of Catholic just doing what God expected him to do – Speak the truth in Austria from Nazi claws. He succeeded, contra spem. The season and out of season. Chancellor enthusiastically endorsed his plans and pledged Love of God, love of his wife, love of his friends, love of his support. Dietrich von Hildebrand moved to Vienna in the neighbor, love of truth, love of justice, love of beauty: that Fall of 1933; and on December 1, 1933, the first issue ofDer was the perimeter of his life after his conversion; the seeds Christliche Ständestaat appeared – a magazine dedicated were given to him in the cradle but could not blossom until to fighting the twin monsters of Nazism and Communism. his conversion; the latter was paradoxically both a fulfill- He was once again animated by his love of God, of Truth, of ment of his deepest longing and at the same time transcend- Justice. ed all that he had previously longed The theme of the moment was to It is dangerous to speak the for. As mentioned earlier, before he attack totalitarian philosophies and to entered into the Holy Ark he already unmask their atheism, their diabolical truth, in season and out of had a clear perception of the hier- plans, their hatred of the person and season. Dietrich von Hildebrand archy of values. Shortly before his whatever was true, noble, and worth knew it, yet he never hesitated to death he said to me: “Throughout living for. Echoing Plato, who wrote my life, I have tried my best to live in The Republic: “Yet I cannot stand enter the arena. according to the hierarchy of values.” by and hear justice reviled without The discovery of the supernatural, lifting a finger… I am afraid to commit a sin by holding however, opened up for him a new world – the new world of aloof while I have breath and strength to say a word in its Christianity, in which natural truths and values found their defense” (Jowett 54), he decided to wage war on the Goliath roots and fulfillment. They harmonized. of totalitarianism under all its forms. In The Soul of a Lion, I have related his miraculous es- For the rest of his life, he was going to be where the cape from Vienna in 1938 and then from France (where he danger was. This is why, as I mentioned above, humanly had to go into hiding, with false papers). He finally arrived speaking, his career was a failure. He never made compro- safely in the United States where his mission as Defender of mises – while most people do. Fear makes cowards of most Truth was going to take on another form. of us. (Does not Shakespeare write something about that?) Soon after his arrival, a scandal took place in New Or- From 1933 until his miraculous escape from Austria (a leans. The great Bishop Rummel had invited a black priest few hours before three Gestapo officers came to arrest him to say Mass. When he entered the sanctuary, many members during the night of March 11, 1938), he devoted all his time of the congregation left. Upon hearing this, Dietrich von and energy to fighting totalitarianism. Hildebrand was so grieved and shattered that he got in touch For many years, his philosophical talents were “on hold” with the noble prelate. That so-called Catholics were so while he waged an intellectual war against atheistic totali- abominably blind was to him a source of profound grief. tarianism. He gave innumerable talks, founded an anti-Nazi Another way of manifesting his horror for racial preju- magazine, and wrote some sixty-seven articles trying to dices was to get in touch with Baroness de Hueck who had open people’s eyes to the danger. He was informed by the founded an organization in Harlem to teach and evangelize chief of the Secret Police that the Nazis were attempting to the black people. Dietrich von Hildebrand – penniless as assassinate him, just as they had done to his great protec- he was – immediately offered his services and for several tor Engelbert Dollfuss, murdered by Hitler’s cronies on months gave talks in this part of the city.

Fall 2013 35 Dietrich von Hildebrand: Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

His political “activity” – witnessed by his magazine in Vi- and sorrow, many joined the bandwagon and the dissenters. enna – was no longer possible. Nevertheless, Helene Iwolski, Vatican II became a slogan for radical change. This word daughter of the last Russian Ambassador to Paris prior to the has an unhealthy appeal for modern man, characterized by Revolution, told him that in a Communist Russian newspaper metaphysical restlessness. Uprooted as he is, he keeps look- she had read an article, the gist of which was that Fordham ing helplessly for novelty, hoping that whatever is new will University in New York City was the center of the reactionar- bring him peace. ies. But, the article related, the real demon of Darkness was Words such as progress, change, dissent, protest, and the a certain Dietrich von Hildebrand.” This pleased him im- like are not only meaningless, but dangerously misleading mensely – now he had a “badge of dishonor” from both Nazis unless qualified.Change should be for the better; progress and Communists. should bring about real improvements; dissent is only Even though no longer in the political arena, he remained meaningful and legitimate when there are objective reasons well informed about the political situation. Shortly after his for dissent. The same applies to protest. arrival, when he had settled with his wife at 448 Central The council was not yet over when Dietrich von Hildeb- Park West, he started giving political talks, inviting anybody rand started worrying about the way things were developing. interested in the topic. (He was also giving talks on the lit- Numerous articles appeared in newspapers and magazines urgy). Many Americans were not fully aware of the dangers hinting that Vatican II was in fact questioning many of the of Nazism and Communism. In 1943 at Yalta, when Roos- “old” truths which no longer resonated with “modern man.” evelt and Churchill betrayed half of Europe by giving it to He was alerted and stopped working on the book he con- another mass murderer, Stalin, he raised his voice in protest. sidered to be his magnum opus (Das Wesen der Liebe). He Grateful as he was for the total collapse of Nazism in 1945, requested to have a private audience with Pope Paul VI to he perceived that now another Monster was threatening all warn his Holiness of the danger. We were in Florence at the the great truths worth living and time, and I was enjoying my first dying for. Alas, once again, his The Faith was subtly attacked by sabbatical leave after seventeen fears were justified. a rich supply of new “catechisms.” years of teaching. The audience turned out to be disappointing. Love of the Bride of Christ: The most subtle and dangerous was As soon as Dietrich von Hil- The Church and Vatican II the Dutch Catechism which, while debrand, shooting from the hip, The last period of Dietrich von sounding orthodox, managed to water warned the Pontiff of the subtle Hildebrand’s life was darkened (and not so subtle) heresies by the aftermath of Vatican II. down the Faith, to eliminate some that were being propagated, the When the Council opened, all basic dogmas, and to insinuate that in latter told him to write it down: Catholics were looking forward “lo scriva, lo scriva.” Unfortu- to a new spring. For if the Holy the light of modern scholarship, many nately he was given no chance to Bride the Church is spotless previous assertions had to be “re- explain his fears, as the audience and radiantly beautiful, if Her examined.” To his grief and sorrow, was very short. Returning to teaching transmits to us the Florence, he started work on a supernatural truths coming from many joined the bandwagon and the long document, spending the Someone Who is Truth Itself, dissenters. Vatican II became a slogan whole month of July 1965 at this the members of the Church for radical change. task. At the end of the month, are – like the Chosen people we went to Southern before them – often wayward, where we annually attended a rebellious, and not only refuse to live up to Her holy com- retreat with a group of Benedictine Oblates. At the end of mands, but are often tempted to betray her teaching in this contemplative week, Dietrich von Hildebrand read his order to justify their conduct. Once again, he heard a call. manuscript to his friends. They warmly approved of it. I His mission was to stand and defend the traditional teach- then translated it into French (for Paul VI knew no German), ing of the Holy Church in matters of faith and morals. and it was privately delivered to the Pope on September 8, The Faith was subtly attacked by a rich supply of new 1965, the day that the last session of the Council opened. “catechisms.” The most subtle and dangerous was the Dutch A few months later, Dietrich heard through his nephew, Catechism which, while sounding orthodox, managed to Dieter Sattler who was German Ambassador at the Holy water down the Faith, to eliminate some basic dogmas, and See, that the Pope had read his document very carefully, but to insinuate that in the light of modern scholarship, many had found it “a po duro.” The manuscript had called for the previous assertions had to be “re-examined.” To his grief condemnation of heresies.

36 Fall 2013 Dietrich von Hildebrand: Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

Once again – for the last time – Dietrich von Hildebrand will, later in life, instinctively reject anything ugly or vulgar. entered the arena; this time, the attacks directed against him Great art, great music had been his friends during his long were very different: his life was not threatened as it had been life. To write Aesthetics was a simple task; like picking a ripe in Vienna. But as soon as he started publishing The Trojan fruit. He set himself at the task, wrote so fast that I always Horse in the City of God, followed by several other books and had two fountain pens at his disposal, because in his haste he innumerable articles, he was ridiculed by “the progressives,” would continue writing when his pen ran out of ink, hardly dubbed as a “reactionary,” “an angry old man,” and someone noticing that his writing was illegible. By June, Volume I even hinted that he might be “senile.” Gregory Baum, who (almost 500 pages long) was finished. As always, we spent the had at that time not yet left the priesthood, asked me how summer in Europe where he gave talks and we visited family someone who had opened doors could now radically change and friends. He never worked during the summer. We came his position. My answer was clear and simple: “He has always back early in September, and by January 1971, Volume II was stood on the side of truth.” completed. The whole of the work runs for 900 pages. He had This period of his life was dark; he re-lived the Germany turned eighty-one in October. scenario when “good” people were blind His Aesthetics is a perfect expression to the horrors of Nazism. Now the pain of the unity of his thought. For in it, we was sharper and the wound deeper: it was find the role and importance of beauty in the Holy Teaching of the Bride of Christ religious life; the exemplaristic dimen- that was challenged – at times even by sion which is crucial in his metaphysics; those whose mission it was to defend the objectivity of beauty which mirrors it. More than once he shed tears. He his epistemology; the deep connection abandoned his life’s work Das Wesen der between beauty and morality; and the Liebe for several years. His mission was bond that a common love of beauty cre- to defend the holy teaching of the Church. ates between human beings. Dietrich von Hildebrand and his future wife Alice He was animated by his love of truth – The work is huge, and I shall limit natural and supernatural – and his ardent myself to only a few remarks which love for Holy Church. He told me “I love Now the pain was sharper and constitute the key ideas of the book. her as I love my Bride.” Beauty is a value, and like all values it Truth and love cannot be separated. the wound deeper: it was the is fully objective and points to another Using both his pen and his voice, fol- Holy Teaching of the Bride of world. But there are two radically lowing the example of Saint Paul who Christ that was challenged – different types of beauty: one he calls wrote to the Galatians, “Have I become metaphysical beauty. It is the beauty your enemy because I am teaching you at times even by those whose inherent in every single metaphysical the truth?”; his beloved Saint Augus- mission it was to defend it. value: a pebble, a blade of grass, a tine, who, to his own grief, had to fight plant, lower animals, higher animals, heretics on several fronts (Donatists, More than once he shed tears. human beings, angels, and then God Pelagians); and the gentle Saint Francis Who is Beauty Itself. It is also to be of Sales who tells us that “in charity we are bound to give the found in qualitative values, such as moral goodness and alarm whenever the wolf is found among the sheep,” he was intellectual values. For example, Plato’s intelligence is more tireless in his efforts to warn others of the danger. beautiful than that of a minor thinker. This metaphysical History will prove that, far from being senile, he was, beauty is intellectually perceived and is characterized by the once again, far-sighted. Pope Paul VI who had found his fact that the higher the value, the greater the beauty. A hu- document “a po duro” declared, not long afterwards, that man being, because he is a person, will therefore inevitably “the smoke of Satan” had entered into the Church. possess more metaphysical beauty than any animal. Plato clearly refers to this metaphysical beauty when he Love of Beauty writes that a just man, even though he has bodily defects, Back in New Rochelle at the beginning of February, 1970, he is nevertheless truly beautiful. The virtue of justice in him suddenly told me that he had decided to write his Aesthetics. is perceived intellectually; his deformity is perceived by This was a project he had long “caressed” but always had to our eyesight. This leads us the other type of beauty, very put on the back burner. He was eighty at the time. Born in different from the first one, called “sense-perceived beauty” Florence, raised by parents who had a high level of the best for the simple reason that it is perceived through our eyes European culture, as a child he was “fed on a beauty.” How and our ears. It is therefore inaccessible to the blind and right Plato was when he said that a child exposed to beauty the deaf. The human body is the channel through which

Fall 2013 37 Dietrich von Hildebrand: Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty this beauty is perceived. What is striking in this type of knew his faith. The dogmatic and moral teaching of Holy beauty is that objects which have a low metaphysical rank Mother Church is immutable. Yet, certain changes, that is to (for example, colors and tones) can possess a degree of say, basically “corrections” of abuses, come about because beauty which is totally out of proportion with their rank. A of human imperfection and subtle deformations. This is why symphony is made up of tones which die as soon as they are most religious orders must be reformed: because they have born and yet can move us to tears by opening up a window been deformed. I have been told that there is one exception toward heaven. The same is true of color in a painting: we – the Carthusians – the most severe order in the Church. can look at La Joconda for hours and drink a beauty which But “the smoke of Satan” had penetrated into the Church cannot be reduced to colors and (already referred to by the shapes. This has been admirably Prophet Daniel, 9:17) and clearly formulated by Cardinal Newman: the passion of change for the sake it speaks of another world and of change had entered into her awakens our longing for eternal sanctuaries. All the abuses which hills. A sunset speaks of God; and she suffered in the seventies must yet, it is made up of gasses which have made the Angels cry... and rank very low metaphysically. Dietrich von Hildebrand joined The mysterious unity of body them. To him, it was like spitting and soul is powerfully expressed in the face of his bride. in the aesthetic experience of sense-perceived beauty. Music Finis The Art of Painting by Jan Vermeer is perceived through our ears; His name will go down in history magnificent landscapes are because, better than most, he seen through our eyes. Maritain The mysterious unity of body and showed that truth, beauty, and claims that “God, having no soul is powerfully expressed in moral goodness are one, and this body, perceives the beauty of a “one” points to God, the source sunset or of music through math- the aesthetic experience of sense- of all values. I shall defend the ematical formulas.” Dietrich perceived beauty. Music is perceived thesis that this is strikingly true von Hildebrand, on the contrary, of the philosophy of Dietrich offers a very different viewpoint. through our ears; magnificent von Hildebrand. Fascinated by Our five senses are gifts that we landscapes are seen through our eyes. “ideas” at a very young age, share with animals. However, already as a child – coming as in the animals these senses are he was from an a-religious (not usually sharper and more powerful. A person with perfect anti-religious) family – he was convinced of the divinity vision cannot compete with an eagle’s vision. The most of Christ. The only explanation for this is that he benefited sensitive hearing of any man cannot compete with a dog’s from grace long before he knew what grace was. sense of hearing. But neither the dog nor the eagle perceives At age fourteen he waged a successful duel with his old- Beauty. It is our soul that perceives this message. est sister who was thirteen years older. She tried to convince Dietrich von Hildebrand’s concern was to analyze the the teenager that everything was relative. As she was clearly very essence of beauty and the message that it communi- losing the arguments she turned for help to their father, cates to man, not only from the point of view of beauty, but deploring the fact that his son was blind to the obvious also morally and religiously. He wanted to shed some light reality of relativism. Wisely the father remarked: “but he is on the very mystery and nature of the beautiful. The “trin- only fourteen,” to which the youngster replied: “Father if ity” with truth and love was now to be completed. you have no better argument against my position than my For years after his conversion, Dietrich von Hildebrand age, your position is very weak indeed.” Whether he ever spent any free moment in the Munich Library. He fully succeeded in convincing his father is an open question. But realized that, religiously speaking, he had been deprived and later he won all his five sisters to the side of truth. now needed to catch up. His spiritual and intellectual hunger When he entered the University of Munich at age seven- was insatiable: he read not only the Holy Scriptures, but the teen, he was firmly convinced that there was a God and that Fathers of the Church, the Doctors of the Church, the His- truth was objective. The rest of his life would be founded on tory of the Church, the lives of the Saints and of the found- these two fundamental truths. ers of religious orders. Enjoying a formidable memory, this He stayed in Munich from 1907 to 1909, and then moved knowledge remained with him to the very end of his life. He to Goettinger to attend the courses of Edmund Husserl,

38 Fall 2013 Dietrich von Hildebrand: Unified by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty the father of “phenomenology” (a very unfortunate label) by the Church. The Franciscan priest who was instructing whose objectivism had attracted quite a few talented young him was adamant: unless you accept the fullness of the men who were convinced of the falsity of the prevalent Church’s holy teaching, I cannot take you into the Church. psychologism. Husserl, and later Max Scheler, are two typi- The young man’s response was credo ut intelligam. And lo, cal and tragic examples of the split intellectual personalities within weeks he told me, he had such insights into the im- of some thinkers. Later Husserl abandoned his objectivistic morality of birth control that he became one of his teacher’s position and turned to a form of idealism more radical than champions. In 1930 he was the first Catholic to condemn Kant’s. Scheler – for personal reasons – left the Church, the decision of the Lambeth Conference; in 1968 he was the whose beauty he had revealed to the young Dietrich von first to defendHumanae Vitae. Hildebrand, and, alas, trampled on some of the most valu- I shall defend the thesis that what faith did to his mind was able insights found in his previous works. to “baptize” it. We know that through original sin our minds have been darkened; that is, truths that were available to our Sunt Lacrimae Rerum reason become veiled by sin. This is particularly true in the As soon as Husserl published his ethical sphere in which the craving for work The Ideas, a breach was cre- pleasure has a blinding effect upon ated between professor and student, the mind. It works like an anesthesia a breach that was never mended. and prevents us from seeing what is Scheler had been instrumental in clearly to be seen. One of the argu- bringing Dietrich von Hildebrand ments I heard ad nauseam in the into the Church, but when he started classroom was, “I do not see that what trampling on his great and noble con- you claim is true.” But it does not oc- tributions for very personal reasons, cur to the student that there is such a a breach was created between the Dietrich von Hildbrand (right) with Max Scheler and thier thing as nearsightedness. The object is two thinkers who had been very close future wives there, but their eyesight, being defec- friends. tive, fails to see it. Now, Dietrich von Hildebrand was His name will go down in There are thinkers whose politi- completely on his own, grateful for history because, better than cal views are hard to reconcile with the insights that his two teachers had their philosophical traditionalism, shared with him and yet keenly con- most, he showed that truth, such as Jacques Maritain. There are scious of the fact that “amicus Plato, beauty, and moral goodness are also those to whom Plato refers in his sed magis amica veritas.” Like Saint one, and this “one” points to Phaedrus “in the worst of authors, Augustine, the word “truth” made his there can be something to the point.” heart palpitate. He dedicated his life God, the source of all values. Holiness unifies man in the good; to finding it and sharing it. Two years the truly great thinkers are “uni- after getting his doctorate (1912) he entered the Roman fied in truth,” for truth is not only a key to universal peace Catholic Church. This was the most crucial point of his life. between men, it is also the key to authentic greatness in the Happy as his youth had been, favored from every point of philosopher. Those who are truly acquainted with Dietrich von view and fed on the beauty of Florence, he now discovered Hildebrand’s thought will perceive that there is a deep harmo- the world of the Supernatural. Inebriated by its beauty, he ny between his religious works (the most important of which became an ardent Catholic and remained one to the very is Transformation in Christ), his philosophical contributions end of his life. in metaphysics (mostly unpublished), epistemology, ethics, How did the influx of grace influence his intellectual aesthetics, social and political works. All are singing the same life? The answer must be carefully formulated, for he was tune: the objectivity of truth, the objectivity of values, whether and remained a philosopher. He never claimed to be a ethical or aesthetical, and their undeniable relation to God. ✠ theologian. But inevitably the world of the supernatural was to have a profound influence not only on his personality and Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, wife of philosopher his private life, but on his thought Dietrich von Hildebrand, is an internation- While he was being prepared for his conversion, the ally known philosopher and author of numer- question of artificial birth control came up. Convinced ous books, most recently Man And Woman: since his early youth of the objectivity of moral values, A Divine Invention. Talks by Dr. Alice von nevertheless, he could not see why preventing a human life Hildebrand can be found on our website www.KeepThe- from coming into existence should be severely condemned Faith.org

Fall 2013 39