But I don't think such conclusions follow. Dr. Crosby rightly observes that John Paul II and others have made valuable philosophical contributions. I, on the contrary, took John Paul as a model of someone who builds surely on Thomas' patrimony, and stressed that we are all invited to make a contribution to humanity's great philosophical enterprise. Let us analyze the terms. Perennially means forever.
Philosophy is a human science.
No correspondence to reality, no perennial value. Dr. Crosby and Dr. Roberts do have a historical approach, and grant a certain importance to St. Thomas. I do not imply that the philosophy faculty necessarily agree with these statements, but I do suspect that something they are doing is at the source of this mind-set. An observation that could be made is that Newman is really regarded more as a theologian and historian than as a philosopher. Actions speak louder than words.