Date of Award

7-1982

Degree Type

Master's Essay - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Theology

Abstract

The first section of this paper is an attempt to integrate Lonergan's theory of the four levels of consciousness into his ideas about the eight functional specialties. This is being done in order to explicate the way in which each of the levels of consciousness would be operative within each functional specialty, thereby lending credence to the conclusion that the four levels of consciousness are indeed the method of cognitive process occuring in each of the specialties. The first step towards achieving this goal will be to briefly delineate the four levels of consciousness and to summarize what goes on in each phase. After that, each of the functional specialties shall be treated, in turn, by explaining the objectives of the particular specialty and then showing how the levels of consciousness are actually involved in the pursuit of those objectives. And finally, towards the end of this paper, we shall choose one of the functional specialties -doctrines and present a more comprehensive and detailed analysis of what Lonergan envisions going on in that specialty. This will be done in order to more fully illustrate the way in which one of the functional specialties can operate in terms of a concrete problem. We turn now to the first task at hand.

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