The Method of Metaphysics According to Bernard Lonergan

Review

Linus Tombari Kpalap, MSP

Lecturer in Dogmatic Theology/Philosophy, Missionary Society of St Paul P. O. Box 23, Gwagwalada, Abuja Email: [email protected].

Received: 17 November, 2020, Accepted: 1 December, 2020, Published: 18 December, 2020

The title of this paper, The Method of Metaphysics, seems to have been suggested by the title of Chapter 14 of Bernard Lonergan's "Insight", "The Method of Metaphysics". And the for Lonergan the method of Metaphysics is at the service of the mediation of the immediacy of being, this paper aims at outlining the phenomenlogical, transcendental, and ontological elements in Lonergan's method of Metaphysics.

Keywords: Lonergan, Metaphysics Method, Being, Immediacy, Mediation, Phenomenology, Transcendental Analysis, Ontology, Hegel. Kant, Heidegger.

INTRODUCTION

The title of this paper “The Method of Metaphysics” of Metaphysics in Lonergan’s program of the analysis of sounds identical with the title of Chapter 14 of Lonergan’s methods. 1 “Insight”. And I assume that the title of this paper was We have said that the title of this paper “The method of suggested to me based on the title of Chapter 14 of metaphysics” squares with the title of Chapter 14 of “Insight”. But what could have provided the ground for “Insight” as “Method of Metaphysics”. Before we go into suggesting the topic of Method of Metaphysics? Lonergan saying something more on the “Method of Metaphysics” has given accounts of his metaphysical thinking not only in “Insight”, it is worth noting that Lonergan’s “Insight” as in “Insight”, but also in his writings that predate his a whole and its Chapter 14 on “Method of Metaphysics” “Insight” and in his writings after the publication of in particular occur within Lonergan’s program of the “Insight”. Lonergan’s “Insight” devotes at least four analysis of methods as a preparation for his working out chapters to metaphysics that provide a wide ranging the method of theology. account of Lonergan’s metaphysical thinking that Lonergan, a professor of Dogmatic Theology in supersedes the accounts of his metaphysical thinking in Toronto, Canada, had the interest of working out a new his writings before the publication and after the method of theology in the light of the developments of publication of his “Insight”. In the accounts of Lonergan’s modern thought since the turn to the subject and the turn metaphysical thinking in his writings after “Insight” we to historical consciousness. He found it relevant to take could observe that Lonergan is either referring to the into account the development of methodical thinking in account of his metaphysics in “Insight” for a fuller the light of the turn to the subject and in the light of the treatment of the metaphysical issue at stake or he is turn to historical consciousness. The need for a new commenting and clarifying on the metaphysical position method of theology, a theological novumorganum, led that he has established in his book “Insight”. The Method Lonergan to conduct an excursion into the world of methodical thinking in modern science and philosophy. By 1952 Lonergan was asked to leave Toronto, Canada, and take over from 1953 the task of teaching 1 B. Lonergan, Insight: A Study of Human Understanding, dogmatic theology at his Alma Mater, the Gregorian CWL Vol.3, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1992. University in Rome. Lonergan decided to round up his

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investigation on methodical thinking in the light of the God there can follow an attempt to provide a foundation developments of the turn to the subject and the turn to for a philosophy of Religion by bringing together the historical consciousness and put his conclusions in a reflections on the transcendence of the human Spirit that book under the title of “Insight: A Study of Human has initiated and accompanied the various stages in Understanding”. Just as his book “Insight” occurs within developing the structure of metaphysical thinking. the general program of his investigation on methodical Anyone approaching Lonergan’s “Insight” with the thinking in modern developments since the turn to the expectation of the composition of a usual textbook on subject and the turn to historical consciousness, so also Metaphysics could be faced with disappointment. The Lonergan’s thought on the “Method of Metaphysics” in book does not give an account of the object and method Chapter 14 of “Insight” occurs within the program of his of metaphysics in its initial chapters. It leads its reader analysis of methodical thinking since the turn to the through a long odyssey of thirteen chapters before subject and the turn to historical consciousness. In an coming to the chapter 14 on the method of metaphysics interview of his book “Insight” Lonergan says: “Now with In fact Lonergan claims at the introduction claim at the regard to the business of Insight, Insight happened this introduction of “Insight” that the book is in a way not a way: my original intention was method in theology. Insight textbook on metaphysics: “Basically, then, this is not a was an exploration of methods in other fields, prior to book on mathematics, nor a book on science, nor a book trying to do method in theology. I got word in 1952 that I on common sense, nor a book on metaphysics; indeed, was to go to the Gregorian and teach in 1953, so I cut in any sense, it is not even a book about knowledge….”3 down my original ambition to do method in theology and Perhaps that could justify his giving the readers the put this book together….”2 arduous task of going through thirteen chapters preparatory to the chapter on the Method of Metaphysics. The Method of Metaphysics as Chapter 14 of Lonergan’s “Insight”: Mediating the immediacy of the Method of Metaphysics: A usual textbook of Metaphysics begins with a definition of the object of metaphysics and the method of The metaphysics that Lonergan is establishing in at least metaphysics. The author can assume the consensus on Chapters 14 to 17 of “Insight” is the metaphysics of the object of metaphysics to be being as being in the light insight. The aim of Lonergan’s “Insight” is to conduct an of the classical formulation of the object of metaphysics. inquiry of insight into insight, as he says in the Preface of And he can go on to insist on the precise definition of the book: “I can make a beginning by saying that the aim being to be real existential being in contrast to possible of the work is to convey an insight into insight. beings or every object of thought. By insisting on the real Mathematicians seek insight into sets of elements. existential being the author can justify his insistence on Scientists seek insight into ranges of phenomena. Men of real existential being by appealing to the history of the common sense seek insight into concrete situations and forgetfulness of being especially in modern philosophical practical affairs. But our concern is to reach the act of thinking with its roots in the nominalism of the later organizing intelligence that brings within a single scholastics likes William of Ockham. perspective the insights of mathematicians, scientists, Where there are general agreements on the precise and men of common sense”4. object of metaphysics to be real existential being, Lonergan indicates that the experience of insight has metaphysician could differ on the methodical approach to metaphysical implications. And the insight into insight can the object of metaphysics. Hence an author of a textbook unfold the metaphysical implications of insight. on metaphysics can go on to propose a conception of the Lonergan’s inquiry of insight into insight aims at deriving method of metaphysics. Ad he can clarify his proposed the metaphysical structure of all human insights: “… a method of metaphysics by clarifying it from the methods unification and organization of what is known in of other sciences and from other proposed methods of mathematics, in the sciences, and by common sense is a metaphysics. metaphysics. Hence, in the measure that insight into After stating the object and method of metaphysics a insight unifies and organizes all our knowing, it will imply usual textbook of metaphysics proceeds to give an metaphysics”5. outline of the metaphysical structure of finite beings and The method for the metaphysics of insight has to be move further to the question of the ground of all finite derived from insight into insight. In Chapter 14 of “Insight” beings in the infinite Being by giving an account of the Lonergan is working out the method of metaphysics. existence of God. From an account of the existence of

3 B. Lonergan, Insight, CWL Vol.3, 12. 2 B. Lonergan, A Second Collection, ed. W.F.J. Ryan and B.J. 4 B. Lonergan, Insight, CWL Vol.3, 3-4. Tyrell, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1996: 213. 5 B. Lonergan, Insight, CWL Vol.3, 5.

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within the framework of his inquiry of insight into insight. being, ens, unum, verum, bonum, shows the ontological Just as Lonergan aims at deriving a critical metaphysics element in the Method of Metaphysics. The from the insight into insight, so also he aims at deriving transcendental analysis of human knowing aims at the the method of metaphysics of insight from the insight into ontological foundation of knowledge. That is why insight. Lonergan’s derivation of the method of Lonergan says that the three basic questions of metaphysics from the insight into insight implies that the philosophy begin with the question of cognitional theory, method of metaphysics is a mediation of the immediacy “What am I doing when I am knowing?”, continues with of insight. the question of epistemology, “Why is doing that knowing?”, and ends with the question of metaphysics, Three Elements in the Structure of the Method of “What do I know when I do it?”.7Still on the level of the Metaphysics: ontological element Lonergan distinguishes between the metaphysics of proportionate being, of the being that is The metaphysics of insight into insight is metaphysics proportionate to human understanding, and the that depends on cognitional theory. And Lonergan’s metaphysics of infinite being, of General transcendent cognitional theory accounts for the conditions of the knowledge, of the Being that is adequate to human possibility of knowing. The question of the conditions of understanding. This distinction between the metaphysics the possibility of knowing is transcendental. Lonergan of proportionate being and the metaphysics of the infinite uses the word “transcendental” in at least three different being brings in an understanding of ontological ways.6 First of all, he understands transcendental in difference. This understanding of ontological difference terms of Husserl’s intentionality analysis of human refers not only to the ontological difference between the consciousness that deals with the correlation of noesis being of the knowing subject and the being proportionate and noema, act and object. Secondly, he understands to the knowing subject, but also the ontological difference transcendental in terms of Kant’s analysis of the between the being of the knowing subject with the being conditions of the possibility of knowing. Thirdly, he proportionate to the knowing subject and the infinite understands transcendental in terms of the Scholastic being. The knowledge of the infinite being transcends not interchangeable terms of ens, unum, verum, bonum, i.e. only the being of the knowing subject, but also the being in terms of the transcendental properties of being. These that is proportionate to the knowing subject. three levels of Lonergan’s use of the word Lonergan’s Method of metaphysics integrates a “transcendental” unfold the elements in the structure of phenomenological element, a transcendental element Lonergan’s Method of Metaphysics. and an ontological element. Lonergan’s understanding of transcendental in terms of Husserl’s intentionality analysis of consciousness refers to phenomenological basis not only of a philosophical REFERENCES method, but also of the transcendental method. Husserl’s At Sogang University, South Korea, 2010. intentionality analysis conducts phenomenological B. Lonergan, Insight: A Study of Human Understanding, CWL Vol.3, Toronto: reductions of what is given in consciousness to the University of Toronto Press, 1992. conditions of its possibility. In this ways Husserl could B. Lonergan, A Second Collection, ed. W.F.J. Ryan and B.J. Tyrell, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1996: 213. speak of “transcendental phenomenology”. On the one B. Lonergan, Insight, CWL Vol.3, 12. hand what is phenomenologically given in consciousness B. Lonergan, Insight, CWL Vol.3, 3-4. forms the basis of any transcendental analysis. On the B. Lonergan, Insight, CWL Vol.3, 5. other hand what is phenomenologically given in B. Lonergan, A Third Collection, ed. F. E. Crowe, New York: Paulist Press, consciousness yearns to be understood in terms of its 1985, 145. B. Lonergan, A Second Collection, 37. conditions of possibility. Lonergan’s understanding of the word “transcendental” in terms of Kant’s analysis of the conditions of the possibility of knowing shows the transcendental element in the Method of Metaphysics. The transcendental element has two phases: the first phase is the transcendental reduction and the second phase is transcendental deduction. Lonergan’s understanding of the word “transcendental” in terms of the Scholastic transcendental properties of

6 B. Lonergan, A Third Collection, ed. F. E. Crowe, New York: Paulist Press, 1985, 145. 7 B. Lonergan, A Second Collection, 37.