Op die grens van vakwetenskap en filosofie

Die begrip “grens” soos dit voorkom in die titel is vir meerdere uitleg vatbaar. Eerstens sou dit kon dui op ’n onoorskreibare punt tussen die filosofie en die vakwetenskappe, so iets soos ’n grenspaal of baken, met ander woorde ’n punt van waterdigte skeiding tussen die domein van die filosofie en die vakwetenskappe. As ’n mens soms die dramatiese grensgevegte tussen die filo­ sofie en die vakwetenskappe in die wetenskaplike literatuur beskou1) dan blyk dit kennelik noodsaaklik te wees om wel sodanige grens te stel, veral ten einde die gevaar van weten­ skaplike terrorisme van die een of die ander kant die hoof te bied

Christelike universiteit en politiek in 'n apartheids- en post-apartheidsbedeling

Christian university and politics in an apartheid and post apartheid society. An university is always integrally related to its surrounding culture. The critical question in this regard is the extent to which it takes its cues for the fulfilment of its task from the political establishment within which it is situated and has to function. This issue has historically been of central significance to the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and still represents a challenge within the new political dispensation. It is argued that the PU for CHE's understanding of the nature of a Christian university and Christian scholarship was influenced, even determined by its uncritical political position within the apartheid society, that this state of affairs was not addressed by the apolitical stance advocated by the university authorities and even less by the Christian philosophy of H.G. Stoker. This stance towards the political dispensation needs radical rethinking in the light of challenges posed by die post-apartheid political dispensation

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

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

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

Science: Servant or master?*

The so-called omnipotence of modern science and technology rests on fundamental convictions and views regarding their basic nature. The mythical claims as to the demonic or magical role played by science in society are strengthened on the one hand by the scientists, and on the other hand they Find an easy access to a "lay" public. I he belief in the omnipotence of science leads to a belief in progress which, in the context of the modern science and technology which have been “freed of values”, is endowed with the Role of saviour in a world devoid of mysticism. For the practice of academic and intellectual stewardship in the allocation of a legitimate but limited role to science, one of the primary pre-requisites is the demythologizing of the over-extended expectations cherished of science as an idol of progress