Papers by Sander Griffioen
This essay discusses the idea of covenant in Habennas' social philosophy. It does so by attem... more This essay discusses the idea of covenant in Habennas' social philosophy. It does so by attempting to shed light on the kind of universality which Habennas claims for communicative reason and by examining the limitations of this universality. The metaphor of "atoning remembrance," as used by Habennas in the "Historians' debate," is also considered. The essay concludes with some observations regarding the relevance of the covenant idea for "public philosophy."
Philosophia Reformata, 2019
This essay focuses on the simile of the hidden player on the instrument of reason (and variant ve... more This essay focuses on the simile of the hidden player on the instrument of reason (and variant versions) which occurs at least ten times in the works of Herman Dooyeweerd. Invariably, the context is his critique of the (alleged) autonomy of thought. The purpose of the simile seems clear: pointing at the person of the thinker behind the veil of reason in order to dispel the myth of religious neutrality. Although this is indeed the accepted view among interpreters, it is argued that it fails to do justice to Dooyeweerd’s emphasis on participation. The player, the instrument, and the central motif of the music are insolubly interconnected. In the second half of the paper, the idea of participation is highlighted as a counterpoise against both the alleged autonomy of thought and a penchant for personalism among Reformational philosophers.
Philosophia Reformata, 2017
This essay about J.P.A. Mekkes (1898–1987) is intended to arouse interest in the work of this not... more This essay about J.P.A. Mekkes (1898–1987) is intended to arouse interest in the work of this notable disciple of Herman Dooyeweerd. For those who studied the philosophical writings of Mekkes, his written texts were as dense as his spoken words were inspiring. Given the lack of studies devoted to Mekkes, his thought has very much remained a closed book, also for a wider readership. By using the themes of “antithesis,” “creation and revelation,” and “presencing thought,” 1 I would like to show that, notwithstanding appearances to the contrary, Mekkes developed a coherent and relatively accessible philosophy in his own right. Mekkes subjected Dooyeweerdian philosophy to the critique of “presencing thought.” In due course this caused him to become a rather isolated figure even within his own circles. In this phase he also developed a new method of “thinking along” with those of other persuasions. This method I call the sub contrario method. In the closing section of this article I expl...
Philosophia Reformata, 2004
Philosophia Reformata, 2001
Philosophia Reformata, 1990
Philosophia Reformata, 1969
Philosophia Reformata, 1986
Philosophia Reformata, 2004
Philosophia Reformata, 2008
Philosophia Reformata, 2006
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship, 2010
B.J. van der Walt's concentration problem This contribution probes the concept of secularism, a k... more B.J. van der Walt's concentration problem This contribution probes the concept of secularism, a key notion of B.J. van der Walt's "Transforming power" (2007). It is found that Van der Walt's interpretation of secularism rests on a double assumption. The first assumption is that human nature is intrinsically religious. Humans cannot live without putting their trust in something. The second is that this religious nature manifests itself in "concentrated" ways, rather than dispersing itself over a plurality of objects. These assumptions in tandem explain why Van der Walt holds the view that atheism, agnosticism and even overt indifference in matters of faith are at heart propelled by convictions that share the main features of positive religions. It also explains why he assumes that all these convictions tend towards one and the same goal: to gain dominance in the public realm. 1 Ik dank de keurders van dit tijdschrift voor nuttige aanwijzingen tot verbetering. Keurder C dank ik bovendien voor suggesties voor een vervolg discussie.
Philosophia Reformata, 1998
De kritische bespreking die collega Koo van der Wal aan mijn hoofdstuk in de OU-bundel heeft gewi... more De kritische bespreking die collega Koo van der Wal aan mijn hoofdstuk in de OU-bundel heeft gewijd, komt aan helderheid niets tekort. De bedoeling is een spanning aan het licht te brengen: waar in dat hoofdstuk de reformatorische sociale wijsbegeerte uitdrukkelijk aan de orde komt, zou de aanvankelijke brede, ‘hegeliaanse’ behandeling van visies op samenleven een antithetische versmalling ondergaan. Op de plaats waar z.i. het mensbeeld uitgebreid aan de orde had moeten komen, gaat alle aandacht naar een onderwerp van ondergeschikt belang: de soevereiniteit in eigen kring. Het ontbreken van een antropologische verankering zou dan weer tot gevolg hebben dat de vraag ‘wat samenleven nu eigenlijk is’ blijft zweven: de concentratie op verschillen en conflicten moest volgens hem wel ten koste gaan van wat hij zelf als hoofdzaak ziet: de vraag naar wat mensen samenbindt. Hij erkent wel dat die vraag aan de orde komt, maar acht de uitwerking niet overtuigend. Zo betwijfelt hij of ik een ba...
Philosophia Reformata, 1994
The backdrop against which this paper situates its main theme is the multicultural society. Multi... more The backdrop against which this paper situates its main theme is the multicultural society. Multiculturalness has become a fact of life, one with which one will have to reckon. The possibility of a multicultural society is ‘proven’ at every corner of our streets where mosques are opened, hindu temples built, also whenever in our class rooms we meet with non-white, non-Christian students — which in my own situation happens more and more. However, there is more to it than mere facts. These days one often hears appeals for a new attitude, a new ethos. The new ethos, it is often said, needs to be geared to and affirm the facts of the multicultural society. For convenience’s sake I shall call this ethos: a pluralist ethos. The problem that this contribution wants to pose is whether such a pluralist ethos is possible.
Philosophia Reformata, 2003
Hegel's Philosophy of the Historical Religions
In Hegel's view Christianity is 'the consummate religion', that is the religion in wh... more In Hegel's view Christianity is 'the consummate religion', that is the religion in which the abstract concept of religion has fully developed all its implications, not only as such, but also for human consciousness. Within Christian religion, Hegel distinguishes between Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Calvinist (or, as he calls it, reformed) confessions. This chapter shows Hegel's position with regard to Roman Catholicism was fuelled by a mix of personal and political elements. It analyzes two important biographical and political facts that influenced Hegel's view of this matter. These are important to understand Hegel's philosophy of religion. Although Hegel interprets this phrase philosophically, his use of it implies that he takes a typical Lutheran view of reconciliation as his point of departure, and clearly interprets Catholic religion from this perspective, thereby showing that he is unable to interpret Catholic religion in its own right. Keywords:Catholic Religion; Christianity; Hegel; Lutheran
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship, 2011
The return of religion Religion is back in Philosophy as a respectable subject. Part 1 first char... more The return of religion Religion is back in Philosophy as a respectable subject. Part 1 first charts what MacIntyre, Taylor and Derrida have meant in this regard. Subsequently, it turns to the Enlightenment to determine what constituted the breakthrough. It is found that even where the Enlightenment gave maximum room to religion (i.e. as a civic religion and as "religion of the heart") it still excluded a constitutive relation to a transcendent revelation.
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Papers by Sander Griffioen