Saturday, June 27, 2020

Further Reading


The sections 15-19 introduce the basic of the theory of the modal spheres. Dooyeweerd gives his fullest account of this theory in part I of the second volume of his New Critique (pp.3-426). Calvin Seerveld gives a helpful overview of Dooyeweerd’s modal theory in “Dooyeweerd’s legacy for aesthetics: Modal law theory” in The Legacy of Herman Dooyeweerd edited C.T. McIntire 1985 pp.41-79. Two other articles worth reading are D M F Strauss “The best known but least understood part of Dooyeweerd's philosophy” in Journal for Christian Scholarship 42 (2006): 61-80, and H G Geertsema “Analytical and Reformational Philosophy: Critical reflections regarding R. van Woudenberg’s meditation on ‘Aspects’ and ‘Functions’” Philosophia Reformata 69 (2004): 53-76. Most introductions to reformational philosophy will contain a section on the theory of the modal spheres, however for these sections I found Jonathan Chaplin’s discussion in Herman Dooyeweerd: Christian philosopher of state and civil society 2011, pp.55-61 particularly helpful. See also Hendrik Hart Understanding our World: An Integral Ontology (1984, University Press of America) chapter 4 particularly pp.190-198. For the historical  details concerning the development of the theory in Dooyeweerd see R.D. Henderson Illuminating Law: The construction of Herman Dooyeweerd’s philosophy 1918-1928 and Marcel E Verburg Herman Dooyeweerd: the life and work of a Christian philosopher, for Vollenhoven see John H. Kok “Social spheres and law spheres” in Philosophy as Responsibility edited by Ronald Kuipers, also Anthony Tol Philosophy in the making: D.H.Th. Vollenhoven and the emergence of reformed philosophy. Dirk Stafleu’s development of modal theory in terms of relation frames is explained in his The Open Future [http://www.mdstafleu.nl/427446844] as well as many other books and papers that can be found at www.mdstafleu.nl. §20 on time draws on Andre Troost (2012:123-125).

The discussion of sensory perception (§24) is largely based on Dooyeweerd’s analysis in NC II 370-374 and Encyclopedia of the Science of Law Vol. 1 185-195 (referred to in the text as ESL, I). Henk Geertsema gives a very helpful analysis of Dooyeweerd’s views in “Dooyeweerd on Knowledge and Truth” in Ways of Knowing Dordt Press, 2005 edited John H. Kok. The quote from J J Smart (§25) comes from his paper ‘Sensations and brain states’ Philosophical Review, vol.68 (Smart 1964). This explanation of the difference and connection between modal aspects and entities is based on Dooyeweerd ESL, I 204-206.

The definition of idionomy at the start of §26 is taken from Ouweneel 2014a 87.  The examples and claims of §27 concerning animals were based on Stafleu “Being human in the cosmos” Philosophia Reformata 56:2 (1991) pp.101-131. For the contrast between animals and humans use was also made of some examples of Antheunis Janse kindly supplied by Chris Gousmett. The discussion of encapsis in §28 draws heavily on Ouweneel 2014a 88-90.

Klapwijk’s example of a lie detector (§17) can be found in his Purpose in the living world? Creation and emergent evolution Cambridge, 2008 p. 126. This links with the later discussion in §30. A very important article for understanding a reformational approach to many of these issues is Henk Geertsema “Embodied Freedom” Koers Vol. 71, no.1 (2011): 33-58. Examples and quotes from Selim Berker “The Normative Insignificance of Neuroscience,” Philosophy & Public Affairs 37, no. 4 (2004): 293–329

The discussion of philosophical anthropology draws from a number of sources. The main ones being:

Dooyeweerd, Herman (1942) “De leer van de mensch in der Wijsbegeerte der Wetsidee” translated as “The theory of Man: Thirty two propositions on anthropology”. Gerrit Glas (2010) “Christian Philosophical Anthropology” Philosophia Reformata 75:2, 141-189. Ouweneel, Willem J. (2014) “A Christian Anthropology” chapter 6 in Wisdom for Thinkers. Stafleu, Dirk (1991) “Being Human in the Cosmos” Philosophia Reformata 56:2 101-131. Strauss, D M F (2014) “Soul and Body: Transcending the dialectical intellectual legacy of the West with an integral biblical view?” In die Skriflig 48(1), Art. #1815. The example on the thyroid gland comes from Strauss with addition on hypothyroidism from David Hanson. The views expressed in §34 were considerably influenced by B J van der Walt’s At Home in God’s World Section C on “A multidimensional Christian view of being human” as well as Cornelis Vonk’s The Dead Know Nothing translated by Gerrit L Wassink (Alken Press, 1998). The quote from J.P Moreland & William Lane Craig can be found on page 288 of their Philosophical Foundation for a Christian Worldview (IVP, 2003). The reference to John Cooper is to his very valuable discussion of the biblical material in Body, Soul and Life Everlasting: Biblical anthropology and the Monism-Dualism debate (Eerdmans, 2000 2nd edition) which defends substance dualism. The discussion of first person, second person and third person perspectives draws on Henk Geertsema’s work in particular “Creation Order in the Light of Redemption (1): Natural Science and Theology” in The Future of Creation Order Vol. 1 edited by Gerrit Glas (Springer, 2018) .

The section on faith and religion (§ 35) draws more on Vollenhoven than Dooyeweerd see John Kok “Vollenhoven and ‘Scriptural Philosophy” PR 1988 53:2 and Vollenhoven “Faith”. Interestingly the Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas makes some remarks in his work Totality and Infinity that confirm Vollenhoven’s notion of the transcosmic relation. See the section on “Creation” in the conclusions which begin with the sentence “Theology imprudently treats the idea of the relation between God and the creature in terms of ontology.” (293). On theology (§ 36) see Willem J, Ouweneel’s What then is Theology? An introduction to Christian Theology Paideia Press 2014 and Renato Coletto “Encyclopaedic models in the Kuyperian tradition (Part 3: towards a network-model)” Tydskrif vir Christelike Wetenskap 2012: pp.43-63. §37 draws on Hendrik Hart Understand our World pp.318-324, Danie Strauss Philosophy: Discipline of the Disciplines pp.188-205, and Henk Geertsema “Wolterstorff and the philosophy of religion. About being and creation” in Essays in honour of Nicholas P. Wolterstorff. Edited by Henk E.S. Woldring. VU University Press 2008, 51-60. The discussion of the Euthyphro dilemma is indebted to Roy Clouser who has written incisively on this topic on the Thinknet discussion list.

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