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Using Dooyeweerdian Philosophy

"I am strongly convinced that for the fruitful working out of this philosophy, in a genuinely scientific manner, there is needed a staff of fellow-labourers who would be in a position independently to think through its basic ideas in the special scientific fields.
"It is a matter of life and death for this young philosophy that Christian scholars in all fields of science seek to put it to work in their own specialty." Herman Dooyeweerd, A New Critique of Theoretical Thought, Vol I, p.vii.

The pages in this collection discuss how Dooyeweerdian philosophy has been used or might be used. New pieces might be added at any time.

"I had the pleasure to attend your classes on 2009-2010 at University of Salford Msc Managing Information Technology. With no doubt I can say the MAKE and Dooyeweerd's Aspects changed my life and I use it everyday of my life with projects and working. ... I use MAKE and Dooyweerds to develop teams and develop Information Systems to help me building the company ..."

Luis Canedo, President, GOJA Bolivia

Some Pages Worth Looking At

Rethinking The Economy - a major project that employs Dooyeweerd's ideas to rethink or reframe economics in both practice and theory. --* New 13 May 2023 *--
How Dooyeweerd Can Help Snowball Sampling in research --* New 13 May 2023 *--
How May Journalists Seek 'Truth'? --* New 10 May 2023 *--
Two Chat-bots Conversing With Each Other; Artificial Intelligence Thought Experiement --* New 18 April 2023 *--
Why Google Glass failed - an aspectual analysis. --* New 6 April 2023 *--
Artificial Intelligence: An Holistic Perspective: a fresh approach to AI made possible using Dooyeweerd's philosophy. --* New 12 October 2022 *--
Aspect-Oriented AI Question-Answering: a proposal to develop better AI conversation systems --* New 12 October 2022 *--
Equality and Its Many Aspects --* New 22 August 2022 *--
Buying a new car - and the chaos it caused: an example of aspectual analysis and the importance of the final two aspects. --* New 18 August 2022 *--
Understanding the Metaverse --* New 19 April 2022 *--
Being a Good Influencer --* New 4 April 2022 *--

What Is Useful?

Most useful of Dooyeweerd's philosophy is his suite of aspects, with which we can understand and distinguish the various intertwined ways in which everything may be meaningful. The basic idea is that

all things function in all aspects, that if we function well in all aspects, things 'go well',
dysfunction in any aspect jeopardises that.
Aspects help us to categorise things.
Aspects help us understand possibilities and rationalities.
Aspects help us understand the complexity of good and evil, problem and solution. A useful motto is

Do not use good in one aspect to excuse evil in others.

Other portions of Dooyeweerd's ideas are also useful, e.g. his idea of ground-motives.

Contents of This Page

This index page has two parts,

first a number of generic ways of using various portions of Dooyeweerd's thought,
second, specific examples of use.

Generic Ways of Using Dooyeweerd's Ideas

Ways of using portions of Dooyeweerd's thought:

Using Dooyeweerd's aspects as categories
Using Dooyeweerd's aspects for evaluation
Using Dooyeweerd's aspects to understand
Using Dooyeweerd's aspects to construct or design
Using Dooyeweerd's aspectual notions of rationality and knowing
On aspectual analysis
Using Dooyeweerd's notion of qualifying aspect to understand, evaluate or guide a thing
Using Dooyeweerd's notion of enkapsis to understand relationships
Using Dooyeweerd's notion of ground-motives to understand worldviews, dialectics and conflicts
- and using the whole of Dooyeweerd's philosophy to enliven other philosophy.

Also, in general:

Experience of Using Dooyeweerd's Aspects in Research - in analysing literature, in critiquing conceptual frameworks, in interviewing and in analysis of data.

Specific Examples of Use of Dooyeweerd's Philosophy

Aspectual Analysis:

How to undertake Aspectual Analysis

Equality and Its Many Aspects --* New 22 August 2022 *--

Buying a new car - and the chaos it caused: an example of aspectual analysis and the importance of the final two aspects. --* New 18 August 2022 *--

Example: Evaluating Institutions and Movements

Example: Aspects of the Economy

Rethinking The Economy - a major project that employs Dooyeweerd's ideas to rethink or reframe economics in both practice and theory.
On Research, Teaching, Disciplines in General
- How Dooyeweerd Can Help Snowball Sampling in research --* New 13 May 2023 *--
- Understanding Research using Dooyeweerd
- Using Dooyeweerd's Aspects in Research, section 1. (Written earlier)
- On using Dooyeweerd in interpretive research
- On using Dooyeweerd's aspects in teaching
- Education in general
- Kevin Huinink's Masters thesis on developmental theories and education.
- On using Dooyeweerd's aspects to define and dignify disciplines
  - For full academic paper on using Dooyeweerd's aspects to define and dignify a particular discipline (IS), see http://aisel.aisnet.org/ukais2009/10.
On Behaviour
- How May Journalists Seek 'Truth'? --* New 10 May 2023 *--
- To analyse benefits and detriment
- Behaviour Change During Covid-19 Lockdown - A Multi-aspectual Analysis
- Being a Good Influencer --* New 4 April 2022 *--
On The Economy, Business, etc.
On the Media, Information Technology, Digital Systems, etc.
- How May Journalists Seek 'Truth'? --* New 10 May 2023 *--
- Two Chat-bots Conversing With Each Other; Artificial Intelligence Thought Experiement --* New 18 April 2023 *--
- Why Google Glass failed - an aspectual analysis. --* New 6 April 2023 *--
- Artificial Intelligence: An Holistic Perspective: a fresh approach to AI made possible using Dooyeweerd's philosophy. --* New 12 October 2022 *--
- Aspect-Oriented AI Question-Answering: a proposal to develop better AI conversation systems --* New 12 October 2022 *--
- Understanding the Metaverse --* New 19 April 2022 *--
- Understanding Techlash
- Podcast on using Dooyeweerd to understand Computer Procrastination (tendency to waste time on pleasant activities instead of getting on with work!). Timothy Pychyl interviews Nick Breems. Good explanation of Dooyeweerd's aspects, in context of computer use and procrastination. (size 33 Mb, about 1 hour)
- Understanding the Problems at Facebook --* New 25 October 2021 *--
- Detailed discussion of understanding information systems
- An earlier, less detailed comprehensive and coherent set of Dooyeweerdian frameworks for understanding Information Systems. This is the result of intensive research carried out Feb-Sep 2003, and exhibits new work.
- Diagrammatic look at how Dooyeweerd can help us understand information systems.
On Sustainability, etc.
- Understanding William Morris on Conservation
- Sustainability in environment and community
Other Areas
- Anthony Smith's excellent opening up of astronomy and telescopes using Dooyeweerd's aspects.
Uses in Strategy Setting:
- Being a Good Influencer --* New 4 April 2022 *--
- Understanding Techlash --* New 24 June 2019 *--
- Aspects of Smart power grids - considering dimensions, technologies and stakeholders using Dooyeweerdian analysis.
- Aspects to guide Organisational and business strategy and operation
- A discussion of Defence Strategy and how three major elements of Dooyeweerdian thinking can help us think 'outside the box'.
- In Farming: Eemlandhoeve Farm, Netherlands has explicitly used Dooyeweerd's aspects in setting strategy and direction for the farm.
  - Report on Visit.
  - Each Aspect of Farm.
- Used in sorting out strategy in a university - an email correspondence.
More On Information Systems.
- Understanding the Problems at Facebook
- Understanding Techlash
- Using Dooyeweerd's Aspects in Research all sections.
- What Is Usefulness of Computers and ICT?
- On using Dooyeweerd in interpretive research
- Dooyeweerd on Youtube - a video clip explaining Andrew Basden's research in information systems for a University of Salford video, shot and edited by Nick Breems.
- Masters Students value Dooyeweerd's Aspects - Some comments from students in information systems development who were taught Dooyeweerd's aspects
- For full academic paper on using Dooyeweerd's aspects to define and dignify a particular discipline (IS), in Int. J. Information Management, Feb 2010, see http://aisel.aisnet.org/ukais2009/10.
- For full academic paper on using Dooyeweerd's philosophy as a foundation for Information Systems Development, Proc. European Conference on Information Systems, 2002, see http://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2002/24
- To analyse benefits and detriment
- Detailed discussion of understanding information systems
- An earlier, less detailed comprehensive and coherent set of Dooyeweerdian frameworks for understanding Information Systems. This is the result of intensive research carried out Feb-Sep 2003, and exhibits new work.
- In general approach to I.S.. (See also paper given to CPTS2002.)
- May be useful in Aspect-Oriented Programming
- To understand automation.
- What is a mouse pointer?: an analysis of the ontic status of a mouse pointer.
Used in Analysis of Complex Situation
- How May Journalists Seek 'Truth'? --* New 10 May 2023 *--
- Understanding the Problems at Facebook
- Behaviour Change During Covid-19 Lockdown - A Multi-aspectual Analysis
- Understanding Techlash
- Using Dooyeweerd's Aspects in Research section 3.
- To detect Category Errors
- Tacit Knowledge as understood by Dooyeweerd
- Mike Winfield's Multi-Aspectual Knowledge Elicitation
- Suzanne Kane's Multi-aspectual Interview Technique
- On using Dooyeweerd in interpretive research
- What Is Usefulness of Computers and ICT?
- Aspects of Smart power grids - considering dimensions, technologies and stakeholders using Dooyeweerdian analysis.
- To analyse benefits and detriment
- Jeremy Rifkin's Prediction of the Eclipse of Capitalism - A Dooyeweerdian Analysis
- Aspectual analysis of The Fall of Netscape
- Marriage: Mutual Help in Every Aspect of Life

To Separate Out Issues in Understanding Things

How May Journalists Seek 'Truth'? --* New 10 May 2023 *--
Two Chat-bots Conversing With Each Other; Understanding Artificial Intelligence with a Thought Experiement --* New 18 April 2023 *--
Understanding the Problems at Facebook
Understanding Techlash
Using Dooyeweerd's aspects to understand a country - a document (c) Frank DeVries. (Used with permission. The views expressed are the author's own and not necessarily those of the Dooyeweerd Pages.)
To detect Category Errors
Jeremy Rifkin's Prediction of the Eclipse of Capitalism - A Dooyeweerdian Analysis
What Is Usefulness of Computers and ICT?
On using Dooyeweerd in interpretive research
Aspects of Influencing People
Aspects of fairness

Some Brief Suggestions

See also the early single-page general overview of how Dooyeweerd may be used:

To Create Methodology (brief)
Inter Aspect Support (brief)
To Avoid Dead-ends in Thinking (tentative)
To Clarify Tangled Issues
To Overcome Reductionism
To Aid Discussion and Inter-Perspective Understanding
Better Evaluations of Events
To Evaluate New Technologies
To Aid Self-Reflection (brief)
To Guide Research
To Integrate Assessment Methods (brief)
To Plan Training (tentative)
To Understand Sustainability and Success
Guiding Interdisciplinary Research and Working
Inter-Cultural Knowledge (initial proposal)
Focus on Normativity (brief)
Assigning Roles, Responsibilities and Freedoms especially in business organizations, and by Main Board members
To guide strategy in a group composed of disparate disciplines.
To warn us even when there is no reason