An Interview with Bernard Lonergan. What Is "Critical Realism?"

PART I: Questions addressed to Lonergan
1. Father Lonergan, you name your philosophy "Critical Realism."
a) What is Critical Realism?
Critical Realism is the philosophical position that states that the real is that which is known by the 3-fold process of attentive experience, intelligent inquiry, and responsible judgment. Reality is that which is known by totality of correct judgment.
b) Thomas Aquinas is a Realist philosopher. Can you name one way that you see Critical Realism related to Thomistic Realism? Or is it totally different?
Thomistic Realism is the philosophical position that states whatever exists can be known, or in other words, "Being is intelligible." Thomistic Realism also says the object known corresponds to the thing (object) existing in the world, and the proper object of the human intellect is the nature of the material thing. …