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Dietrich von Hildebrand: A Knight for Truth in a Relativistic World

by Margaret Datiles 

He was chased by Nazis. He was a philosopher before his time. His revolutionary thoughts on the nature of marriage and sexuality left a lasting mark on modern Church teachings. One day, he might be a Doctor of the Church. 

Who is this unsung hero? His name is Dietrich von Hildebrand.

Sometimes referred to as a “Knight for Truth,” von Hildebrand stands out as a much-needed voice of Catholic faith, reason and courage in today’s over-sexualized, relativistic world. 

With the recent passage of laws re-defining marriage and consideration of health care “reforms” that may unleash a policy of abortion-on-demand throughout the nation, von Hildebrand’s writings are a beacon of light to all who strive to stay true to Christian principles.  He is a breath of fresh air amidst the cloud of moral subjectivity that chokes our legal system, culture and society.

If you’re looking for a contemporary Catholic role model who lived his life as a witness to Christ, or for a writer who can provide guidance on the application of Christian principles to modern situations involving subjectivism, sexuality and marriage, von Hildebrand is your man. 

Although Dietrich von Hildebrand has remained little-known, his teachings have been a great influence on Catholic teachings and the Church.  Fortunately, with the increasing number of translations of von Hildebrand’s works by the Dietrich von Hildebrand Legacy Project, his popularity is growing.

When we think of Catholic philosophers, we often think of figures such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine, who lived in a society that was very different from ours.  With Dietrich von Hildebrand, we have found a Catholic philosopher of our own time. He lived from 1889-1977.  He experienced the horrors of World War II, the emergence of new scientific technologies that threatened human dignity, and the unraveling of marriage and the family through the cultural acceptance of pre-marital sex, divorce and same-sex marriage. 

It is in this modern context that von Hildebrand wrote his famous works on ethics, marriage and purity.  His greatest works include The Nature of Love, In Defense of Purity, Transformation in Christ and Ethics.  His philosophical and religious writings influenced Vatican II’s Gaudium et spes and Pope Paul VI’s landmark encyclical Humanae vitae.  His works also influenced Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body and Veritatis splendor.  Pope John Paul II described von Hildebrand as “one of the very great ethical thinkers of the twentieth century.”  In the same vein, Pope Pius XII declared once that “Dietrich von Hildebrand is a 20th century Doctor of the Church.”

Pope Benedict XVI came to know the philosopher when he was assistant pastor at von Hildebrand’s parish in Munich, Germany.  As Josef Cardinal Ratzinger, the Holy Father stated: “I am personally convinced that, when, at some time in the future, the intellectual history of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century is written, the name of Dietrich von Hildebrand will be most prominent among the figures of our time.” 

Importantly, von Hildebrand was one of the first Catholic theologians in our modern era to stress that, in addition to procreation, the love and unity of the spouses is one of the purposes of the marital act.  He wrote, “As marriage is, in its nature, principally a communion of love, so the meaning of physical consummation is not restricted to its function as a means of procreation.” 

The influence of von Hildebrand’s thought is evident especially in Humanae vitae, which noted this dual purpose of the marital act.

Von Hildebrand also defended the existence of the natural moral law in philosophical (rather than theological) writings such as his Ethics. He wrote in radical opposition to contemporary notions of moral relativism and subjectivism, describing them as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”  He wrote that his goal was to, “by means of a philosophical analysis appealing to reason, clear the path and be helpful for finding ‘the True Light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.’”

In addition to being a Catholic philosopher and theologian, von Hildebrand was a political enemy of the Nazi regime. When the Nazis assumed power in Germany, von Hildebrand left his position as a professor at the University of Munich.  Based in Vienna, Austria, he founded an anti-Nazi newspaper. During the German occupation of Austria, von Hildebrand fled through Europe as a political fugitive and eventually escaped to the United States.

It is significant that von Hildebrand lived in Germany during the Nazi regime, one of the greatest attacks on the dignity of the human person in all history.  Indeed, von Hildebrand’s writings on ethics and “personalism” (the notion of the inviolability and inherent dignity of the human person) were in part a result of his reflections on the crimes against humanity that he experienced in Nazi Germany.

For example, to reinforce their eugenic policies, the Nazis legalized abortion for the first time in Germany.  However, abortions were only allowed for Jews and other “unfit” persons. German courts held that abortions were meant for “racial health,” and German laws provided that abortions are legal on “eugenic grounds.” As a German, Dietrich von Hildebrand experienced firsthand the Nazis’ use of abortion as an instrument of destruction of human life. 

This, along with the rest of the Nazis’ eugenic practices, had a profound effect on von Hildebrand’s writings on the nature and inviolability of the human person.  The inhumane practices of Nazi society helped von Hildebrand develop his philosophies on personalism.  Those writings would later greatly influence the thought and works of Pope John Paul II. 

It is important for us as Catholics to inform ourselves on some level on the writings of von Hildebrand.  In praise of von Hildebrand, Pope Benedict XVI wrote that the philosopher’s legacy lives on by engaging in “dialogue with contemporary currents of philosophy, bringing the full scope of reason to bear on fundamental human questions” and helping to recover the gift of wisdom in modern philosophical discourse – a hefty challenge, but one we can all contribute to by living our lives grounded in Truth.

As a “Knight for Truth” in our relativistic age and as a philosopher for our time, Dietrich von Hildebrand has emerged as a new intellectual hero for a new generation of Catholic thinkers.

 

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(The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Headline Bistro or the Knights of Columbus.)