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Jeffrey C. Kalb, Jr. said... Mr. Given, I do agree, and I would add that Gilson, in his rush to assimilate Bergson's natural philosophy (in lieu of Aristotle's), also misunderstands St. Thomas's metaphysics. Gilson's is really a new metaphysics, perhaps inspired by St. Thomas, but diverging from it in many critical ways. To correct that misapprehension and return us to a more traditional interpretation was my essential interest in writing the short tract. Step one for me is to free St. Thomas from his modern shackles. My original background is materials science and electrical engineering. It was only as I began to see the problems with modern physics that I entered deeply into natural philosophy, and thence into metaphysics. I agree that in most respects Scotus and Aquinas are complementary. Bettoni was my first introduction to Scotism, and my reading of Scotus has extended only to my own philosophical interests. I certainly cannot be called an expert in his philosophy. However, I believe that his principal theses, understood in the proper sense, not in the sense Thomists assign to them, are compatible with a Thomistic framework. As a Catholic, I do not view Scotus as a suitable standard for the Church, given the smaller range of his thought, its abstruseness, and the confusing state of the writings he left behind. However, I think it very important that his new insights be incorporated into a Thomistic foundation. I too have sought a unifying viewpoint and I do believe I have found it in a discipline I call "Taxology," which I have spent the last 25 years developing. The study of pure metaphysical order effectively works as a material logic of the transcendentals. Its role is analogous to the role the mathematical apparatus plays in mathematical physics, except that I use the data of revelation and traditional metaphysics, rather than the data of the senses. The formal distinction, haecceity, and the univocity of being all find their taxological equivalents. If it is something that interests you, we can discuss it offline at the email I provided. It would take us far astray of this conversation.

https://lyfaber.blogspot.com/2021/07/william-desmond-being-and-between.html Jeffrey C. Kalb, Jr.  said... Dr. Sullivan, I have read with interest your considerations on the differences between Thomistic and Scotistic metaphysics, and share your dislike of straw-man arguments against Scotus. I too find myself somewhere in between the two positions, but I have written a short metaphysical work to correct Etienne Gilson's misconstrual of the Thomistic tradition: "Existence and Subsistence in St. Aquinas: Against Gilsonian Metaphysics." Without adopting the position of any particular historical Thomist, I have shown that Gilsonian (née Bergsonian) anti-essentialism is based upon a faulty notion of essence. The book is priced (with almost no margin for the author) at $5.95. I would also be happy to send you a free copy and/or hear your opinions at jkalb3@cox.net In Christ, Jeff Kalb July 17, 2021 at 2:35 PM James A. Given  said... Dear Dr. Kalb, There is a long tradition of po...
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The Influences: For Kalb's specific view on how Gilson "rushed to assimilate" the natural philosophy of Henri Bergson over Aristotle—which underpins the argument that Gilson veered away from traditional realism—you can reference his shorter programmatic discussions, such as his public exchanges on philosophical forums like The Smithy. [1]

In the philosophical framework of Thomist scholar Jeffrey C. Kalb Jr. , the core target of critique is Étienne Gilson and his "Existential Thomism," which Kalb characterizes as a form of anti-essentialism rather than literal nominalism. [ 1 , 2 ] Kalb's view of these figures can be broken down as follows: Étienne Gilson: Anti-Essentialism as "Semi-Nominalism" In his book, Existence and Subsistence in St. Thomas Aquinas: Against Gilsonian Metaphysics , Kalb argues that Gilson's radical focus on the primacy of the act-of-being ( esse ) over essence led to an incomplete reading of Thomas Aquinas. [ 1 , 2 ] Kalb asserts that Gilson’s "anti-essentialist creed" overcorrects against rationalism. By casting essence as a mere extrinsic limitation to existence (borrowing heavily from Henri Bergson's intuitionism), Gilson's philosophy inadvertently weakens the reality and stability of universal essences. While Gilson wouldn't call himself a nom...
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