Causality is original in the physical aspect. But there is something that feels like causality in logic (analytical aspect), in history (formative aspect) and in jurisprudence (juridical aspect).
Growth is original in the biotic aspect, but economic growth is an analogy in the economic aspect.
Some common analogies are found in the table below.
| Aspect | Kernel concept | Analogies | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative | Amount |
Pistic: infinity of God Spatial: size Aesthetic: "a lot of fun" | |
| Spatial | Continuous extension |
Sensitive: A large sound Lingual: Extension Social: Close friend Economic: Large organisation | |
| Kinematic | Movement |
Quantitative: Incrementation
Analytic: Logical process [NC,II:120] Analytic: trajectory of thought Lingual: Flow of argument or story Social: Changing status or class Economic: Transfer of resources Pistic: A 'movement' that embodies some belief that emerges from a particular situation, e.g. Women's Movement, Labour Movement | |
| Physical | Causality |
Sensitive: Stimulus-response Analytic: Premise-conclusion Formative: Means-end Lingual: Utterance-reply Juridical: Retribution | |
| Biotic | Life, organisms |
Economic: economic growth / health Quantitative: growth in amount Social: healthy friendship Pistic: "this church is dead / alive" | |
| Quantitative | Amount |
Pistic: infinity of God Spatial: size Aesthetic: "a lot of fun" | |
| Social | 'we', togetherness |
Quantitative: Sharing a common factor Biotic: Companion plants Psychic: animal bonding, groups and societies Lingual: Recognition of a similar other, a recipient for symbolic signification | |
| Aesthetic | Harmony, fun |
Quantitative: Perfect numbers Biotic: Symbiosis Sensitive: Complementary colours Lingual: Integrality of content | |
| Ethical | Self-giving, sacrificial love |
Quantitative: Biotic: Plants letting themselves be eaten Psychic: Parents, especially mothers, giving themselves for their offspring Lingual: When we write or talk, we give meaning away from ourselves to others; indeed all written meaning gives of itself to all the rest in a global network of meaningfulness. Social: Collaboration involves some self-giving; rivalry echoes dysfunction in the ethical aspect; Economic: Investment (giving something before, and with no absolute certainty of, return) Juridical: Vulnerability (voluntary). |
(Some more to be added; please send suggestions.)
Dooyeweerd believed that it is very important in philosophy to distinguish analogical from original meaning. If we do not, our thinking becomes fuzzy (even though it might convince some) and can be philosophically dangerous, leading into blind alleys.
Some suggest that everything is metaphor (analogy). That will not be argued here, except to say that to Dooyeweerd each aspect has an original meaning that is not analogical, but that since analogy is to do with meaning, and so is language, and since for each original meaning there are several analogical meanings, it is not surprising that in language much of the meaning of words or utterances is analogical.
In the first, both relationships (calf, bull), (lamb, ram) are of the same aspect, as is the comparison of relationship, namely biotic. In the first, they are of different aspects: (old age, life) is biotic or possibly mental / psychical, while (evening, day) is physical or possibly aesthetic, and the comparison of relationship is about order, which is quantitative.
Aspects can help us sort our more clearly what is involved in such analogies.
This page, "http://dooy.info/analogy.html", is part of The Dooyeweerd Pages, which explain, explore and discuss Dooyeweerd's interesting philosophy. Questions or comments are very welcome.
Compiled by Andrew Basden. You may use this material subject to conditions.
Written on the Amiga with Protext.
Created: 23 August 2006. Last updated: 7 February 2015 social, 9 February 2015 ethical. 24 October 2017 added intro and section after table; new .end; extended table. 25 October 2017 trajectory. 15 November 2019 forms of analogy. 2 September 2020 analogy in social. 18 January 2025 canon, bgc.