30
PARTISAN REVIEW
and of the ecclesiastic institution which dominated European cul–
ture until the last "four centuries," so significantly mentioned.
If,
however, the reader is familiar with the articles of super–
natural medieval philosophy, he will also recall that bloody and
ferocious persecutions and oppressions are very different when
carried on in the interests of the Church. For in 'this latter case
they are intended to save from eternal damnation the souls of
believers in heresies; or if that is not possible at least to protect
others from being contaminated by literally "damnable" heresies.
The interpretation put by St. Thomas Aquinas (now the official
philosopher of
the
Church) upon the Biblical injunction "Love
thy neighbor as thyself" is proof for the orthodox that since the
love in question is love of an immortal soul which can be saved
only by acceptance of the creed of the Church and by sharing in
its sacraments, that injunction of Jesus is far from having the
meaning that would naturally be assigned to it. For it is an express
authorization of any and all means that will tend to save that soul
from the tortures of hell. For what are peace, earthly and natural
contentment, and a reasonable degree of happiness for a mere
three score years and ten in comparison with supernatural eter·
nity? Hence, the proper course to be taken by genuine "love"!
I come now to a statement which, if I mistake not, has both
supernatural and philosophical anti-naturalists among its sponsors.
"Men who hold to this naturalistic view in democratic countries
are unaware of the dangers in their position. Influenced by the
last remnants of philosophical idealism, romantic transcendental–
ism, or religious theism in our day, they act as if they believed in
the spiritual conception which they have intellectually repudiated.
They try to maintain their feeling for the dignity of man, while
paying homage to an essentially materialistic philosophy accord–
ing to which man is simply (sic!) a highly developed animal.
They are living off the spiritual capital which has come down to
them from their classical and religious heritage.... Since this
contradiction will prove to be intellectually intolerable, scholars
and teachers
must
(
!) recover and re..affirm the spiritual con·
ception of man and his good which we have derived from Greek
and Hebraic-Christian sources.
If
they fail to do this not only
religious reverence and moral responsibility, but also the scholarly
activities with which they are directly concerned, will be greatly
