It
is important to note that what is objectified in sensory perception is not
fully given to it, number, space etc. are not sensory in character, further
what is perceived is not purely an object but also a subject. This means that, for example, a plant
functions actively in the modes of number, space, movement, energy and organic
life, and it does so in its own particular way.
Dooyeweerd also gives the example of a biotic subject-object relation of
a mother-bird feeding its young. He uses
this to show how such a biotic subject-object relation can itself become the
object of sensory perception and so be involved in a sensory subject-object
relation (NC, II 374).
A
natural event, such as a flood, cannot function actively in the mode of
feeling, it cannot perceive anything, but it can be perceived. This is what is meant by being an object for
sensory perception. Such events can
function as objects in all the later modes, so it can have a historical
meaning, it can have an economic meaning and so on. This meaning does not exist “in itself” but
only in relation to possible subjective functioning in the aspect concerned,
Dooyeweerd explains, “The objective-sensory perceptual image of a flash of
lightening, for instance, only exists in relationship to possible subjective
perception. It has no being “in itself,”
in abstraction.” (ESL, I 185).
Traditionally a distinction between primary and secondary qualities has
been maintained where the mathematical and physical characteristics of a
natural phenomenon are held to be in the thing itself whereas the sensory
qualities of colour, smell, taste etc. are supposed to exist only for
subjective perception and so lack any true ‘objectivity’ (in the sense of mind
independent reality). Dooyeweerd’s
approach rejects this completely. On his
view a natural phenomenon functions actively, and so as a subject, in the
mathematical and physical aspects of reality. As a subject, it truly possesses
a spatial trajectory, it functions actively as a subject within the physical
aspect of movement and energy. It is the
sensory qualities that are instead “objective” because related as an object to
the active functioning of a subject. The
origin of the traditional view is the supposition that investigation by the
special sciences is able to inform us with regard to the true and full reality
of a phenomenon. However Dooyeweerd
holds that “the special sciences must in fact begin by abstracting from the
concrete data in order to be able to theoretically study a particular aspect of
reality which has been chosen as a field of investigation. The special sciences should never arrogate to
themselves the theory of reality. This
lies in principle outside the limits of their competency” (ESL, I. 186).
There
is an important difference between the objective retrocipations and the
objective anticipation in sensory perception.
The first are simply and directly given, those with normal vision in
enough light cannot help but see these features, in the latter case however the
features relate to normative aspects of reality as such they require the
opening or deepening of the objective perceptual image. “The normative anticipations in the
objective-sensory form of a thing are dependent upon human disclosure; they are
not present as a matter of course in the perceptual image itself … but are,
rather, presented to human beings as a hidden realm of meaning to be
disclosed.” (ESL. I 193)
Reformational
philosophy emphasises the relational nature of all that exists. There are no
'things in themselves'. It is a mistake to see a basic relationship between
thinking and being, rather 'thinking' is just one function next to and in
relationship with others as the logical aspect is just one aspect in connection
with all the others. And all aspects are aspects of coherence, both in terms of
subject-subject relations and subject-object relations.
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