The nature of philosophy
I would submit that Fr René Camilleri ( Times of Malta , March 5) has a very narrow concept of the nature of philosophy. He opposed Fr Peter Serracino Inglott’s contribution (February 24) that basically stated that philosophy is, beyond Scripture, a ‘guide for the perplexed’ by throwing in the idea of Church tradition. Fr Peter was justly incensed (March 9), maintaining – and rightly so – that Church tradition itself is, in part at least, the work of philosophical reflection. Of course, it is not only that, but this very fact further defeats Fr René’s assertions. For the nature of Church tradition is essentially, as Congar says (in Tradition and Traditions ), a ‘subjective sense, a kind of Catholic instinct, [which] is called “sensus fidelium”, “sensus fidei”, the sense of faith’. Fr René claims Scriptural objectivity, which, evidently, is not the case. Certainly, Scripture is the root and foundation of Church tradition, but, as a ‘handing on of a message’, as Rahner calls Church tra