Vrae oor Christelike wetenskap

Die besinning oor Christelike wetenskap gaan nog steeds voort. Hierdie uitgawe is daar weer eens bewys van. Die feit van die voortdurende besinning sou op verskillende wyses geinterpreteer kon word: enersyds as ’n aanklag dat daar nog steeds nie helderheid bestaan oor hierdie belangrike saak nie; andersyds as ’n teken van ’n lewenskragtige besinning oor ’n tema wat in feite nooit uitgeput kan word nie

Die betekenis van die wysgebeerte vir die akademiese en persoonuke vorming van die student

Die aktualite it van ons tema kan aan verskillende faktore toegeskryf word. Nie alleen speel die eeue-oue stryd tussen die w etenskappe en die Wysbegeerte ’n rol nie, maar in die toenem ende professionalisering van die universiteit kom die sogenaam de vorm ingsvakke, waarond er Wysbegeerte, se bestaansreg en voortbestaansreg direk in gedrang. Die pragm atiese benadering deur studente (en dosente) oor waarheen (d.w.s. na watter beroep) ’n besondere kursus lei, kan nie meer skouerophalend eenkant toe geskuif word nie, so asof filosowe drommers is oor ’n ander wêreld

Die bevordering van geesteswetenskaplike studie*)

Hierdie tema sou op ’n verskeidenheid van wyses aangepak kon word: Eerstens is dit moontlik om planne te bedink op grond waarvan die studentegetalle in die geesteswetenskappe verhoog sou kon word. Tweedens is dit moontlik om ’n soort wetenskaplike rasionalisasie te verskaf vir die feit dat die oënskynlik anachronis- tiese geesteswetenskappe nog steeds aangebied word in ’n tyd waarin die hele samelewing in die teken van die wetenskap en die tegniek staan. Dit sou natuurlik ook moontlik wees om die tema aan te pak vanuit ’n statistiese ontleding van die stand van die geesteswetenskappe en daardeur op tendense en ontwikkelingsrig- tinge te dui. Natuurlik sou daar voldoende grond wees om ook die hele kwessie van die gebrekkige finansiering van die geesteswetenskappe aan die orde te stel en ’n pleidooi te lewer vir beter salariëring van geesteswetenskaplik-geskooldes, beter beurse vir studente in die geesteswetenskappe en beslis meer geleenthede vir na- vorsing in die geesteswetenskappe. Voorts sou die uiteindelike werksituasie van die geesteswetenskaplik-geskoolde in oënskou geneem kon word. Indien daar ’n oor- skot van geesteswetenskaplik-geskooldes bestaan, sou dit geremedieer moes word en indien daar ’n tekort aan dergelike geskooldes sou bestaan, sou planne beraam moes word vir die aanmoediging van studie in hierdie rigting

"Bewitching" or confusing methaphysics? The demarcation between science and metaphysics according to Karl Popper

The problems of both classical and modern theory of knowledge, according to Popper, reside in the problem of demarcation: a problem closely re­ lated to the problem of induction. The paper argues the view that Popper's view of metaphysics is ambiguous, requiring another criterion to distinguish between "good " and "bad " metaphysics. The sources of the problem are pinpointed, and Popper's distinction between three types of theory outlined. The article then explores the distinction between types of theories and the issues of falsification, testability and refutation, before going on to a consideration of the relationship between science and metaphysics, and w eighing up the issue of good ancid metaphysics. From this emerges clearly that the second "criterionot demarcation" is needed to make precisely this distinction; also in view of Popper's u n ­ clear, even ambiguous, view of metaphysics

Black and white civil religion as ideology

The author points out that the term ideology has changed to a negative connotation following the initially positive connotation it had. The negative connotation has been reinforced following its association with Marxism. In this article it is pointed out that ideology has increasingly gained the nature of civil religion because soteriological issues have come to be settled in terms of some immanent frame of reference. The author looks at White(Afrikaner) civil religion in South Africa as well as at Black civil religion. The conclusion is inevitably drawn that in both Black and White civil religion in South Africa the fundamental message of the Gospel has been identified with the suffering, oppression or nationalistic aspirations of some or other specific group. The author concludes by saying that to the extent that Afrikaners have done this in the process of history their experience of history ought to be subjected to a critical test in the light of Scripture. To the extent that Blacks are tempted to harness the fundamental message of the Gospel to their own cultural and national aspirations, the same test has to be applied

Die pluralisme van wêreldbeskouinge, teoretiese paradigmas en teorieë

The actual existence of a large variety of schools, trends, viewpoints and theories in practically every science confronts the Christian scholar with a difficult choice. The question facing the Christian scholar is whether, in the face of this plethora of theories, he has to work out theories de novo. This immediately implies a question of criteria

Gespreksmoontlikhede tussen verskillende paradigmas1

Communication between incommensurable culture paradigms. When the notion of "polarization" isused to signify the nature of the Relationships between diverse cultural paradigms within the multi-cultural Context of the RSA,it inevitably implies the exclusion of the possibility Of communication. The choice for this model is already aprejudiced with A certain understanding of the dilemma.This model is symptom at icofa Cultural discourse in which the now well worn metaphors of apartheid and Integration have been used as key terms.In this article it is argued That these metaphors and this type of discourse is misleading and needs To be replaced by an understanding of the South African situation which Accommodates the fact that all human beings, irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds, raceorculture, share the same basic needs and aspirations. It is at this level that communication ought to be instigated. But his will require a concerted effort at developing new key symbols Which will express and represent common values to which most individuals And groups aspire.This can only be achieved through common efforts Atre making andreinterpreting history

Christian scholarship and Calvinistic or Christian philosophy

In the circles of Christian scholarship the idea of a Christian or Calvinistic philosophy is a fam iliar notion. Outside of these circles there seem to exist very little familiarity with the underlying motivations which have given rise to such an academic endeavour or with the type of problems which are focussed upon in this approach. This article is primarily intended for consumption outside of the reformed and of this notion. Moreover the article is of a popular scientific nature and has no intention of giving an exhaustive exposition of these problems or the discussion concerning them

Does Reformational philosophy have an answer to the many guises of pluralism?

Both the transformation of society and the inner reformation of the sciences require and are dependent upon global views of reality, society, man, nature and truth and implicitly harbour views of order. Moreover, Reformational philosophy as a transcendentalist project argues that all theoretical positions implicitly or explicitly harbour such global views. Dooyeweerd’s philosophy, rooted in the ‘metanarrative’ of Christianity provides significant distinctions which make it possible to contextualize many of the issues raised in post-modernism. It is this type of global view that arouses the suspicion ofpostmodernists who have a strong suspicion about meta-narratives of any kind and especially notions of totality and universality. In this paper it is argued that Reformational philosophy’s emphasis on the diversity and coherence of the creational order and the diversity transcending fullness of meaning given in Jesus Christ provide significant barriers to counteract the phenomenon o f 'wild pluralism’ so characteristic of post-modernism’s emphasis on pluralism in cultures and scientific theorizing