	that	metaphysical	superficiality	and theoretical	fragmentation	can	have	deeply	problematic	practical	as	well	as	theoretical consequences: The	excessive	segmentation	of	knowledge,	the	rejection	of	metaphysics	by	the human	sciences,	the	difficulties	encountered	by	dialogue	between	science	and theology	are	damaging	not	only	to	the	development	of	knowledge,	but	also	to	the development	of	peoples,	because	these	things	make	it	harder	to	see	the	integral good	of	man	in	its	various	dimensions. The	"broadening	[of]	our	concept	of	reason	and	its	application" is	indispensable if	we	are	to	succeed	in	adequately	weighing	all	the	elements	involved	in	the	question of	development	and	in	the	solution	of	socio-economic	problems. In	light	of	contemporary	challenges,	Benedict	XVI	offers	what	promises	to	be	an intellectually	defensible	and	practically	viable	way	of	thinking	about	the	natural environment	and	about	human	obligations	with	respect	to	that	environment.	Benedict's theorizing	about	human	morality	and	about	the	natural	environment	is	indebted	in	large measure	to	his	understanding	and	appropriation	of	classical	thinkers-including especially	St.	Augustine	(354-430)	and	St.	Thomas	Aquinas	(1225-1274)-within	the Church's	"natural	law"	tradition.	Benedict	XVI	(2008,	#13)	holds	that,	in	spite	of	the fragmentation	and	confusion	which	frequently	characterize	modern	metaphysical	and moral	thought,	it	is	possible	to	achieve	a	reasonable	degree	of	conceptual
that 	 metaphysical 	 superficiality 	 and theoretical 	 fragmentation 	 can 	 have 	 deeply 	 problematic 	 hardheaded 	 equally 	 well 	 as 	 theoretical consequences: The 	 excessive 	 segmentation 	 of 	 cognition, 	 the 	 rejection 	 of 	 metaphysics 	 by 	 the human 	 sciences, 	 the 	 difficulty 	 encountered 	 by 	 dialogue 	 between 	 skill 	 and theology 	 are 	 damaging 	 not 	 entirely 	 to 	 the 	 development 	 of 	 cognition, 	 but 	 besides 	 to 	 the development 	 of 	 peoples, 	 because 	 these 	 thing 	 make 	 it 	 harder 	 to 	 see 	 the 	 built-in good 	 of 	 man 	 in 	 its 	 diverse 	 dimensions. The 	 " broadening 	 [ of ] 	 our 	 concept 	 of 	 rationality 	 and 	 its 	 application " is 	 indispensable if 	 we 	 are 	 to 	 succeed 	 in 	 adequately 	 weighing 	 all 	 the 	 element 	 involved 	 in 	 the 	 question of 	 development 	 and 	 in 	 the 	 solution 	 of 	 socio - economic 	 problems. In 	 luminosity 	 of 	 contemporary 	 challenges, 	 Benedict 	 XVI 	 offers 	 what 	 promises 	 to 	 be 	 an intellectually 	 defensible 	 and 	 practically 	 feasible 	 way 	 of 	 thinking 	 about 	 the 	 natural environment 	 and 	 about 	 human 	 obligations 	 with 	 respect 	 to 	 that 	 environment. 	 Benedict's theorizing 	 about 	 human 	 morality 	 and 	 about 	 the 	 natural 	 environment 	 is 	 indebted 	 in 	 big measure 	 to 	 his 	 understanding 	 and 	 appropriation 	 of 	 classical 	 thinkers - including especially 	 St. 	 Augustine 	 (354 - 430) 	 and 	 St. 	 Thomas 	 Aquinas 	 (1225 - 1274)-within 	 the Church's 	 " natural 	 law " 	 tradition. 	 Benedict 	 XVI 	 (2008, 	 # 13) 	 apply 	 that, 	 in 	 spite 	 of 	 the fragmentation 	 and 	 confusion 	 which 	 frequently 	 qualify 	 mod 	 metaphysical 	 and moral 	 opinion, 	 it 	 is 	 possible 	 to 	 achieve 	 a 	 reasonable 	 degree 	 of 	 conceptual
	thah	metaphysical	superficiallty	and theoreticco	fragmxntatioh	can	have	aeeply	problematic	practical	as	xell	qs	theiretical consequences: Ghe	excesspve	segmenratiib	of	knowledjs,	the	rejcetion	kn	meta'hbsics	by	the humak	sciences,	tha	difficulties	etcuuutered	by	dialogue	between	science	and thqology	ate	famaging	not	onli	to	tht	dedelolment	of	knowledge,	but	also	to	the develkpment	oh	peoples,	because	yhese	things	make	it	harder	to	sfe	thf	integral good	of	maj	in	its	variooa	diiwnsions. The	"bfoadening	[of]	our	concept	or	reason	and	its	application" is	indirpenscble if	we	arg	ci	sufweed	in	adequetely	wvighing	all	the	ckementv	involvrd	in	the	questiok of	dxvelipment	and	in	the	solutioi	of	socio-economic	probjems. In	lichc	of	contemporary	challebgws,	Bengdict	FVI	owderr	whzt	'rojises	tl	be	en intellecfually	defenwible	and	practically	fiwvle	way	of	thinkjng	abott	ehe	natural environment	and	about	human	oblicatjons	with	respect	to	that	encironment.	Benedict's thgorizing	abjut	human	morality	and	about	the	natural	environment	is	ingebtev	iv	laxnc mexwuge	to	his	understanding	and	appropriation	of	classicwm	tnikkers-including efpecially	St.	Suhuxjine	(354-430)	and	St.	Thomar	Aquinca	(1225-1274)-wjthin	the Church's	"nahural	lar"	tradution.	Beneqict	CVI	(2008,	#13)	holds	that,	in	spite	of	the frqgmentation	aud	cinfusion	which	frequzntly	charactzrize	mpdern	ketaphysical	and moral	thuughf,	it	is	possibpe	to	achiebd	a	reasonable	degrde	on	cotceptual
that metaphysical superficiality and theoretical fragmentation can problematic as well theoretical consequences: The rejection metaphysics by the sciences, the difficulties by dialogue between science and theology damaging not only to the development of knowledge, but also to the development peoples, because these things make it harder to see the integral good of in various The [of] our concept of reason and its application" is indispensable if we are to succeed in weighing all the elements involved in the question development and in the of socio-economic problems. In light contemporary Benedict XVI what to an intellectually defensible practically viable way of thinking about the natural environment and about human obligations with respect to that Benedict's theorizing morality and the environment indebted in large his understanding and appropriation of classical Augustine (354-430) and St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)-within the "natural law" Benedict XVI (2008, #13) holds that, spite of the fragmentation and confusion which frequently modern metaphysical and moral thought, it is possible to achieve a reasonable degree of conceptual
	that	metaphysical	superficiAlity	and thEoretIcaL	frAgMentAtioN	can	have	deeply	PRoblEmatic	practical	as	well	aS	theoReTIcal COnSequeNces: The	EXcESSivE	sEgMenTaTIoN	of	knOwlEdge,	the	Rejection	oF	meTaPhysics	by	the HUmAn	sciences,	The	Difficulties	EncOunterEd	By	dIAloguE	beTween	SciencE	And theOlogy	are	dAmAGing	noT	Only	to	tHE	DeVeloPment	of	knowledge,	bUT	aLSo	to	the developMent	of	PeOPlES,	BecAusE	these	thinGs	Make	iT	Harder	tO	SeE	THE	inTEgral good	of	maN	in	its	varioUS	diMensioNs. the	"BRoadenIng	[of]	OuR	ConCept	of	reasoN	and	Its	applicAtion" iS	IndispeNSable if	We	are	tO	suCceEd	in	ADeQuAteLy	WEigHInG	alL	The	Elements	InVoLved	iN	the	QUESTion Of	dEvelOpmenT	and	in	the	soluTioN	of	sOCio-EconoMic	prObleMs. in	ligHt	of	coNtempOrAry	challenges,	BeNediCt	XVI	offeRs	wHaT	prOmIses	tO	Be	an inTelLecTually	dEfensibLE	anD	pRACTiCally	viable	way	of	thInKINg	About	the	NaturaL EnViROnment	anD	aBouT	humAN	ObligAtioNS	wIth	respeCt	to	thAT	eNvIronmenT.	BEnedicT's TheOriZing	aBOut	hUman	moRality	anD	abouT	The	natural	enviROnment	is	indebTEd	IN	LaRGe meAsuRe	to	his	undeRstaNDing	And	aPPrOprIAtion	Of	claSsICaL	Thinkers-including esPeCially	st.	AugUstine	(354-430)	and	St.	ThOmas	AquinaS	(1225-1274)-WIThin	the CHurcH'S	"nATural	law"	traditIon.	BeNedict	XVI	(2008,	#13)	hOLds	that,	iN	spitE	of	the frAgmentatiON	And	confuSioN	whIch	FreQUEnTly	characteriZE	ModeRn	MetaphySicAl	and moRal	ThoUghT,	it	Is	Possible	tO	achieve	A	rEaSoNaBle	DegreE	Of	concepTuAl
	that	metaphysical	superfi ciality	an d the ore tic al 	fra gmen tation	can	hav e 	dee ply	problematic	practi cal	a sw ella stheor eticalc on s e que nc es : T he ex cessi vesegment ation	of	k now le dge,	the	rej e ct ion	of	met aph ysics	by	the  hu man	sc ie nce s ,	the 	di fficu ltiese ncount ered	by	d ia l ogue	b e tween	s c i en ce	a nd theology	are	d a ma g ing	not	only	t o	thede v el o p men t	o f	knowledg e, 	buta lso	tot he d e vel o pment	of	peop les,	becaus e 	th ese	th in gsm ake	it 	hard er tosee	the	int egra l good	of 	man	i n 	its	va r ious	di mensio ns.  Th e	"b r oa de nin g[ of] ou r	c o nce pt	of	re as on 	anditsa p p l icat ion " is 	indi spensable ifwearet o	s uccee d	inadeq ua telyweighi ng	al lthe	elements	in volv ed	in	the 	qu es tio nof	de v elopme ntand 	in	the 	soluti o n	o fs o c io -economic	problems .I n 	l ight	ofcontem p or ar y 	challen ge s,Bene d i ct	XV I	of f er s	what	p romise s 	t obe	an i nt ellect ua lly 	de fensi b le	a nd	pra ctically 	viab l e	way	of	think i ng	about	then at u r al envi ron ment	and	ab outh uman 	obl i ga tio n s	wit h	res pe c tt o	that	environment. 	B enedic t's t heorizing	abo ut	human	m o r a lity	and 	abo u tt he	natural	env ironm ent	is	ind e bted	inlarge  measure 	to	his	u n d erstandi ngand 	ap pro p r ia tion	of	class i c al	t hi nkers-i ncl uding e spe cia lly 	St .Augustine 	(354-43 0) 	a nd 	S t.Thoma s 	Aquinas 	( 122 5- 127 4)-wi t hin	th e Chu rch' s"n a tur al	law" tr a d itio n. 	B ened ict 	X VI	(2 008, #13 )	holds 	that,	in 	sp i te	o fth e fragm entation	andco nfusion	wh ic h	f requen t l y	charac terize	modern	metaphysi c al	andmor al	th ough t,	it	ispos sibletoa chieve 	a	rea sonab le 	de g r ee	of c on cep tu al
	that	metaphysical	superficiality	and theoretical	fragmentation	can	have	deeply	problematic	practical	as	well	as	theoretical_consequences: The	excessive	segmentation	of	knowledge,	the	rejection	of	metaphysics	by	the_human	sciences,	the	difficulties	encountered	by	dialogue	between	science	and theology	are	damaging	not	only	to	the	development	of	knowledge,	but	also	to	the development	of	peoples,	because	these	things	make	it	harder	to	see	the	integral good	of	man	in	its	various	dimensions._The	"broadening	[of]	our	concept	of	reason	and	its	application" is	indispensable_if	we	are	to	succeed	in	adequately	weighing	all	the	elements	involved	in	the	question_of	development	and	in	the	solution	of	socio-economic	problems. In	light	of	contemporary	challenges,	Benedict	XVI	offers	what	promises	to	be	an_intellectually	defensible	and	practically	viable	way	of	thinking	about	the	natural_environment	and	about	human	obligations	with	respect	to	that	environment.	Benedict's theorizing	about	human	morality	and	about	the	natural	environment	is	indebted	in	large measure	to	his	understanding	and	appropriation	of	classical	thinkers-including_especially	St.	Augustine	(354-430)	and	St.	Thomas	Aquinas	(1225-1274)-within	the Church's	"natural	law"	tradition.	Benedict	XVI	(2008,	#13)	holds	that,	in	spite	of	the fragmentation	and	confusion	which	frequently	characterize	modern	metaphysical	and_moral	thought,	it	is	possible	to	achieve	a	reasonable	degree	of	conceptual