Section — Konings, Theologia Moralis
§ II: Moderate Rationalism
- Since human reason is equated with Religion itself, therefore theological disciplines are to be treated in the same way as philosophical disciplines.
Alloc. Singulari quadam perfusi, December 9, 1854.
- All dogmas of the Christian Religion indiscriminately are the object of natural science or philosophy; and human reason, cultivated only historically, can by its natural powers and principles arrive at true knowledge of all dogmas, even the more hidden, provided these dogmas have been proposed to reason itself as an object.
Letter to the Archbishop of Freising, Gravissimas, December 11, 1862. - Letter to the same, Tuas libenter, December 21, 1863.
- Since the philosopher is one thing, philosophy another, the former has the right and duty of submitting himself to the authority which he himself has proved true; but philosophy neither can nor ought to submit itself to any authority.
Letter to the Archbishop of Freising, Gravissimas, December 11, 1862. - Letter to the same, Tuas libenter, December 21, 1863.
- The Church not only ought never to take notice of philosophy, but indeed ought to tolerate the errors of philosophy itself, and leave it to itself that it may correct itself.
Letter to the Archbishop of Freising, Gravissimas, December 11, 1862.
- The decrees of the Apostolic See and of the Roman Congregations impede the free progress of science.
Letter to the Archbishop of Freising, Tuas libenter, December 21, 1863.
- The method and principles by which the ancient scholastic Doctors cultivated Theology are by no means congruent with the necessities of our times and the progress of the sciences.
Letter to the Archbishop of Freising, Tuas libenter, December 21, 1863.
- Philosophy is to be treated with no account had of supernatural revelation.
Letter to the Archbishop of Freising, Tuas libenter, December 21, 1863.
N.B. With the system of rationalism there cohere for the most part the errors of Anton Gunther, who is condemned in the letter to the Cardinal Archbishop of Cologne, Eximiam tuam, June 15, 1847, and in the letter to the Bishop of Breslau, Dolore haud mediocri, April 30, 1860.