AristotelianCatholic

Aristotelian Catholic is a label used to describe Catholics who ground a substantial portion of their philosophy and theology in Aristotelian thought, particularly in its metaphysics, logic, natural philosophy, and ethics, and who interpret Catholic revelation through an Aristotelian lens. The term is descriptive rather than official, and it covers a range of positions within Catholic intellectual life, from formal scholastic schools to individual scholars.

Historically, Aristotelian philosophy experienced a revival in medieval scholasticism, most prominently through the work of Thomas Aquinas, whose synthesis of Aristotle with Christian theology became a foundational Catholic approach. The label is commonly associated with adherence to this Aristotelian-Thomistic synthesis, though some who call themselves Aristotelian Catholics emphasize Aristotelian method and categories without committing to a single system.

Philosophically, Aristotelian Catholic thought centers on Aristotelian notions such as being as act and potency, matter and form, causality, natural law, virtue ethics, and teleology, interpreted in light of Christian revelation. In moral and natural theology, these concepts are used to articulate how human beings participate in divine order and how moral norms emerge from human nature.

Today the term denotes a scholarly or self-identifying stance rather than an ecclesial designation. Some Catholic philosophers and theologians describe themselves as Aristotelian Catholics, seeking to preserve a rigorous Aristotelian rational foundation within Catholic doctrine, while others integrate Aristotelian insights with other philosophical traditions.