The Semantics of Analogy

Joshua P. Hochschild

Description

The Semantics of Analogy is the first book-length interpretive study in English of Thomas de Vio Cajetan's (1469?-1534) classic treatise on analogy. Written in 1498, De Nominum Analogia (On the Analogy of Names) has long been treated as Cajetan's attempt to systematize Aquinas’s theory of analogy. A traditional interpretation regarded it as the official Thomistic treatise on analogy, but current scholarly consensus holds that Cajetan misinterpreted Aquinas and misunderstood the phenomenon of analogy.

Both approaches, argues Joshua P. Hochschild, ignore the philosophical and historical context and fail to accurately assess Cajetan's work. In The Semantics of Analogy, Hochschild reinterprets De Nominum Analogia as a significant philosophical treatise in its own right. He addresses some of the most well-known criticisms of Cajetan's analogy theory and explicates the later chapters of De Nominum Analogia, which are usually ignored by commentators. He demonstrates that Cajetan was aware of the limits of semantic analysis, had a sophisticated view of the relationship between semantics and metaphysics, and expressed perceptive insights about concept formation and hermeneutics that are of continuing philosophical relevance.

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Épistémologie
• Philosophie de la religion
• Philosophie médiévale, scolastique
• Medieval
• Religious
• PHILOSOPHY
• Philosophie et théologie
• Edad Media
• Thomas Aquinas
• Logic
• Thomas Cajetan
• Thomism
• Analogy
• Middle Ages

Informations

• Publié par: University of Notre Dame Press
• Date de parution: 30 avril 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780268081676
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

Th e S e m a n t i c s o f A na l o g y

Th e S e m a n t i c s o f A na l o g y Rereading Cajetan’sDe Nominum Analogia

Jo s h ua P. H o c h s c h i l d

University of Notre Dame Press

Notre Dame, Indiana

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Copyright © 2010 by University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 www.undpress.nd.edu All Rights Reserved

Publishedin the United States of America

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Hochschild, Joshua P., 1972– The semantics of analogy : rereading Cajetan’s De nominum analogia / Joshua P. Hochschild. p. cm. “This work began as a doctoral project at the University of Notre Dame”—Acknowledgments.  Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN13: 9780268030919 (pbk. : alk. paper)  ISBN10: 026803091X (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Cajetan, Tommaso de Vio, 1469–1534. De nominum analogia. 2. Analogy. 3. Semantics (Philosophy) I. Title. B785.C153D434 2010 169—dc22 2010008769

∞The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.

Contents

Acknowledgments vii Abbreviations xi Preface: Reinterpreting a Classic

xiii

Introduction: Some Theoretical and Historical Preliminaries 1

Pa r t 1 —

C aj e t a n ’ s Q u e s t i o n

Chapter One Systematizing Aquinas? A Paradigm in Crisis 17 Chapter TwoCajetan’s Question: The Reconstructing Semantic Intent ofDe Nominum Analogia 33 Chapter ThreeSemantics, and the Analogy, “Concept vs. Judgment” Critique 47 Chapter FourInsufficient Semantic Rules for Analogy  Some 65

Pa r t 2 —

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

C aj e t a n ’ s A n s w e r

Cajetan’s Semantic Principles 85 The Semantics of Analogy: Inequality and Attribution 99

vi

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Contents

Chapter SevenSemantics of Proportionality: The The Proportional Unity of Concepts 122 Chapter Eight The Semantics of Proportionality:  Concept Formation and Judgment 143 Chapter Nine The Semantics of Proportionality:  Syllogism and Dialectic 161

Conclusion

Notes 177 Bibliography Index 245

173

233

Acknowledgments

This work began as a doctoral project at the University of Notre Dame, and through its gestation there and subsequent development into the present form I have incurred many debts. I mention first Gyula Klima, who introduced me to medieval phi losophy, and from whom I tried to learn as much as possible through my undergraduate and graduate studies. His own comments about Cajetan’s theory of analogy were the seeds of this work, and I hope he doesn’t regret trusting me to cultivate them. At Notre Dame I also had the privilege and challenge of en gaging two contemporary authorities on analogy. Fr. David Burrell allowed me to convince him that it might be worth writing on Ca jetan’s theory of analogy, and showed great loyalty when it was most needed. Dr. Ralph McInerny was patient and forgiving; his work and conversations sharpened my wits and improved my arguments, and he arranged for crucial material support during my last year at Notre Dame. As neither of these scholars needs to be reminded, my depar tures from their interpretations of Cajetan in no way diminish my respect for their work, and only increase my appreciation for their generosity. In researching this study I benefited from correspondence with E. J. Ashworth, Angel d’Ors, William McMahon, and Jöel Lonfat. Thanks also to William McMahon, John Deely, and Fr. Laurence Dewan, O.P., for sharing prepublication manuscripts of their papers. And I am especially grateful to Thomas Osborne for his very helpful comments on substantial portions of the manuscript.

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vii

viii

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Acknowledgments

Barbara Hanrahan of the University of Notre Dame Press shep herded the work to publication with grace, encouragement, and patience. Two anonymous reviewers gave the manuscript generous attention and detailed commentary, and the work benefited from Margo Shearman’s expert copyediting. Margaret Gloster designed a lovely cover, integrating an image by a former student of mine, David Hancock, who kindly granted permission to reproduce his work. Portions of this work, in earlier versions, appeared as indepen dent articles. Much of what is covered in chapter 3 was published as “Analogy, Semantics, and Hermeneutics: The ‘Concept vs. Judg ment’ Critique of Cajetan’sDe Nominum Analogia,” inMedieval Phi losophy and Theology11 (2003): 241–60. Much of chapter 4 appeared in “Did Aquinas Answer Cajetan’s Question? Aquinas’s Semantic Rules for Analogy and the Interpretation ofDe Nominum Analogia,” inProceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association77 (2003): 273–88. Parts of chapter 5 appeared in “Logic or Metaphysics in Cajetan’s Theory of Analogy: Can Extrinsic Denomination Be a Semantic Property?” inProceedings of the Society for Medieval Logic and Metaphysics1 (2001): 45–69. And some portions of what became chapters 8 and 9 were included in “The Rest of Cajetan’s Analogy Theory:De Nominum AnalogiaChapters 4–11,” inInternational Philo sophical Quarterly45 (2005): 341–56. This research project has received more financial support from more institutions than it deserved. For grants in support of my doc toral studies I owe thanks to the University of Notre Dame, the Inter collegiate Studies Institute, the Marguerite Eyer Wilbur Foundation, and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. Special thanks are owed to the Russell Kirk Center for the privilege of a residential fel lowship during 1999–2000. Subsequent work on the manuscript was supported by faculty development grants from Wheaton College (Il linois) and Mount St. Mary’s University. Lastly, my family. I can almost measure my progress on this project by the births of my four lovely children: Stephen Craig, born about halfway through the dissertation; Jeremy Augustine and Helen Mary, who entered the world at different stages of manuscript re vision; and most recently, as I addressed final corrections, Benedict

Acknowledgments

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ix

John. Among other ways in which these four have blessed me, they have been inspirations to work on this book, and inspirations not to. Naturally my greatest debt is to my wife, Paige, who has accom panied this project from the beginning and strengthened it with her faithful support and sacrifice.