„Intellect and Reason“

The Annual Conference of the Romanian Section
of the Thomas Aquinas International Society, 2014.

The Latin term intellectus knows no consistent translation, either in the modern languages, or in Romanian. According to its primary meaning, the intellect is an immediate, intuitive faculty of understanding, which the mediated, discursive understanding of reason is based upon, on the one hand, and which, on the other, contains the mediated understanding in itself. In the language of Greek philosophy, intellect corresponds to nous, and reason to dianoia, which was translated in Latin as ratio. This is the traditional meaning that the medieval philosophers, Thomas Aquinas in particular, had in view when speaking about intellectus.
Today, however, the terms derived from the verb intelligere often refer to forms of the discursive thinking, or to what should be expressed by using the term ratio. The issue, therefore, is that the dynamic principle of reason, which is the intellect, has come to mean reason as such, the discursive reason. Moreover, the intellect has come to mean the external side of reason, instead of the inner one, that is, not the principle of understanding in depth. Within this context of the overturn of its original meaning, the intellect has become an abstract intellect and remained stuck in ‘intellectualism’.
Having as a starting-point the vacillations of the medieval philosophers and theologians, who were translating intellectus either with the meaning of nous, or with that of dianoia, the organizers of the SITA 2014 Conference launch the invitation to take part in the public debate over the relation between intellect and reason, as understood by modern and contemporary philosophers. The main objective of the Conference is looking for an answer to Kant’s question: what can I know?, a very important question for Thomas Aquinas. We expect SITA members from Romania and abroad, young researchers, professors and lovers of wisdom to take part in this Conference.

Date: 9-10 May 2014

Venue:
Facultatea de Teologie Romano-Catolică [Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology],
Str. G-ral Berthelot 19, București, Sectorul 1;
Phone: +40 21 314 86 10

Registrations
Please submit contact information and an abstract (100 words long),
either in Latin, English, French, German, Italian or Spanish.
Deadline: 15 April 2014. E-mail address: t a u w i n k l [at] f a s t m a i l . f m

Accomodation and catering:
The organisers offer free lunch and dinner.
Accomodation can be arranged on request.

Other information:
Please write an e-mail to the above address or call +40 741 314 952.