Philosophia Reformata

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Two problems in Scheler’s thought are (1) his reason/feeling dualism, which artificially limits his classification of values, undermining the coherence of experience and its rational intelligibility; and (2) his restriction of moral value to a by-product of realizing non-moral values, which leads him to misidentify the value attaching to personal agency exclusively with moral value. To resolve these problems, I enlist Herman Dooyeweerd’s analysis of experiential aspects, analogical concepts, and subject-object relations, which illumine both Scheler’s insights and his oversights.

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Our consumption and production patterns lead to an increasing pressure on the environment. These patterns are not just accidental, but are rooted in worldviews, including ideas what constitutes quality of life and how mankind should relate to nature. This article presents the results of a study on the worldview, values and behavioral patterns of four religious communities: Amish, Hutterites, Franciscan and Benedictine communities, in order to investigate whether and in what way their values and principles may lead to an impact on the environment and a structure that helps to maintain their quality of life.
These communities appear to base their choices not so much on environmental values, but on values such as community, stability, moderation, humility or modesty, the rhythm of life, and reflection. In many cases, these values lead to behavioral choices with a relatively low environmental impact, while they also contribute to their preferred quality of life. In order to enhance sustainability and quality of life in Western society, we may be challenged by three principles: focus on quality instead of quantity, community building, and a process of reflective change. This study about four religious communities has brought to light values that might still connect to ideas about quality of life rooted in broader Western society, and may stimulate a reflective change towards a sustainable development with a lower impact on the environment.

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The theory of normative practices has proven to be helpful in eliciting the normative dimension of social practices. In this article we apply the theory to military practice. Since current military missions are Network Enabled Operations, which mandate a strong focus on cooperation with other military and non-military partners, an additional framework is needed to understand actual problems in such missions. We have extended the theory of normative practices with interrelations (enkaptic, part-whole, and juxtapositional). Two cases from missions in Afghanistan have been analyzed to show the usefulness of the theory of normative practices and its extension with interrelations.

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In reformational philosophy engagement with Søren Kierkegaard never really did get off to a good start. The present contribution is meant to reintroduce Kierkegaard in reformational philosophical discussions by focusing on the question of truth. How does the thinker as thinker relate to truth and what is the role of the I-self relationship in the search for truth? As working hypothesis it is stated that Kierkegaard’s many subtle analyses of the I-self relation can enrich reformational philosophical thinking about truth, by raising awareness for the intricate intertwinement between the object (the ‘what’) and the attitude (the ‘how’) of thinking.
First, the thesis of indirect communication in the work of some of Kierkegaard’s pseudonymous authors will be investigated, including the question how this thesis affects the search for truth. Second, this thesis is compared with central concepts in reformational thinking, such as the heart, directedness at the Origin, and selfknowledge. Third, a brief review will be given of Climacus’ famous thesis that truth is subjectivity. After this review, the focus finally again shifts toward reformational philosophy, especially the way it has dealt with the religious dynamic in theoretical thought.
It is concluded that there are differences in style, emphasis and conceptual ‘framing’ between Kierkegaard and Dooyeweerd, but that there are also many similar concerns and philosophical intuitions, more even than have been acknowledged so far in the literature. Kierkegaardian thinking is helpful in raising awareness of the tensions, ambiguities, and brokenness of our existence, even in the search for truth.

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