summary
Dooyeweerd again uses the image of a refracting prism.
Each of the aspects are investigated by modern special sciences – each science considers reality in only one aspect.
To investigate these sciences without the light of the knowledge of God means that one of these aspects becomes absolutised – everything is reduced to this one aspect. Tis idolisation of only one science results from a non-biblical ground motive taking hold of thinking. It leads to a false view of reality.
historicism
Historicism is the idolisation of the historical aspect of creation. Historicism knows no eternal values; all is part of a stream of historical development.
Historicism is a half-truth – all temporal things do have a historical element - that has been made a whole truth – all other aspects are reduced to it.
The scriptural ground motive frees our view of reality and we are able to see God’s creation in its great pluriformity and colourfulness; it prevents us from absolutising any one aspect and reducing the others.
Each aspect possesses a sovereign sphere or as Abraham Kuyper called it, sphere sovereignty.
Sphere sovereignty is a creational principle. The aspects of reality have:
• a mutual irreducibility
• an inner connection and
• an inseparable coherence
Take logic. It cannot be explained by the other aspects, it is sovereign in its own sphere and subject to its own laws. Nevertheless, it does not exist by itself, it is inseparable from the other aspects; eg we cannot think logically if we have a body that functions organically.
two types of structure
There are two types of structure within temporal reality: the structure of the different modal aspects and the concrete structure of reality as it reveals itself to us time.
We experience the structure of the modal aspects in their totality through everyday experience. We only focus on the distinct aspects in scientific thought. The concrete structure of reality shows itself in the structure of different individual totalities: things, events, acts and societal relationships, such as the family, the state, the church … .
sphere universality
The psychical aspect of reality has a core nucleus that is irreducible to any other aspect. However, there is an expression of internal coherence with the other aspects. See the table below:
Someone, as a result, of an apostate ground motive, might make ‘feeling’ the basic certainty of his or her life. Seeing that the aspects are reflected in the physical life he or she may declare that feeling is the origin of all other aspects; faith, for example, could be identified with the feeling of trust and certainty. Feeling becomes all – it has become an idol.
An antithesis is at work between the Christian religion and the service of an idol.
A key issue is how does a Christian ground motive affect pastoral and social action? It radically changes our view of the inner nature of the state and its relation to other spheres.
society and sphere sovereignty
Sphere sovereignty is a creational order and thus pertains to the second structure – the concrete – structure of reality. It applies to the societal forms – family, state, church, school, economic enterprise and so on.
A Christian ground motive also gives insight into the intrinsic nature, mutual relation and coherence of these spheres.
A form/ matter motive sees the state as a totalitarian community.
Sphere sovereignty guarantees each sphere an intrinsic nature and law of life; each sphere has its authority derived directly from God and not from another sphere or aspect.
review questions
1. What are the two types of structure?
2. Dooyeweerd in this section poses a number of key questions:
• What does the Christian ground motive have to do with the concrete needs of political and social action?
• What then is the significance of sphere sovereignty for human society?
How does Dooyeweerd answer these questions?
3. How has historicism distorted the view of sphere sovereignty?
study questions
1. Choose another of the modal aspects and examine how it is anticipated and retrocipated in the other modal aspects.
2. How do the different ground motives affect the view of the state?
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