Benefits of Dooyeweerdian Thinking

At this time, this page is just an initial, draft list.

• A basis for understanding diversity that coheres, because of Dooyeweerd's notion of aspects.

• Specifically, it can provide a basis for understanding diverse types of rationality, and multiple norms, and the complexity of human functioning.

• A ready-made framework for analysis is afforded by Dooyeweerd's suite of aspects, which supports our thinking about a wide range of issues. When internalized, it helps the analyst recognise when certain aspects are being either over-played or overlooked. Also, it can help philosophers. For example, it can stimulate critique of Hartmann's strata, such as opening up his 'spiritual' stratum.

• Biased or one-sided thought that often bedevils our thinking can sometimes be corrected by Dooyeweerd's careful thought about the kernel meanings of aspects. It can also help us characterize scientific arenas more usefully.

• Dignity is restored to the everyday. Dooyeweerd's starting-point in everyday, pre-theoretical attitude of thought makes it easy to reflect on everyday life and lifeworld; as a result, even children seem to be able to understand something Dooyeweerd!

• a basis for integrating intuition, theory and knowingis found in Dooyeweerd's approach to knowing. Dooyeweerd's ideas can contribute to discussions about lifeworld.

• Insight into the dialectical swings throughout the history of thought and passion can be provided by Dooyeweerd's notion of religious ground-motives. It helps us detect when current passions are one-sided, whether toward freedom or control, to sacred or secular, etc. His discussion of four actual ground-motives helps make sense of Western thought.

• The non-neutrality of reason, theoretical thinking and science can be grounded in Dooyeweerd's transcendental critiques of theoretical thought, and they can help us understand its nature, limits and strengths.

• A rich understanding of the nature of things as encountered in everyday pre-theoretical experience is made possible by Dooyeweerd's radically different approach to things as multi-aspectual.

• Meaning can be reintegrated with being, and Is with Ought, by Dooyeweerd's notion of existence and philosophical emphasis on meaning.

• Philosophers and other thinkers can escape the problems inherent in the Cartesian view of subject and object by Dooyeweerd's radically notion of subject and object without the need to abandon these notions (as happens in existentialism). Dooyeweerd's approach can give dignity to the non-human, and can provide a way of allowing for being-in-the-world that does not dissolve the difference between subject and object.

• All the above, and more, means that Dooyeweerd's thought can engage with the thought of many other thinkers, affirming, underpinning and yet critiquing it in the spirit of true dialogue. It is not necessary to argue for Dooyeweerd to replace the thought of other thinkers, but rather critique and enrich it, so that it better fulfils what motivated it in the first place. For many examples of this, see the growing directory of links with other ideas. The thought of many other thinkers can be 'situated' within Dooyeweerd's thought.

Created: 21 July 2008. Last updated: