Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Beyond critical realism? revisiting J. Wentzel van Huyssteen’s rationality
Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613882943537152 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Lange, Hans-Christoph Thapelo |
| author2 | Vosloo, Robert |
| author_browse | Lange, Hans-Christoph Thapelo Vosloo, Robert |
| author_facet | Vosloo, Robert Lange, Hans-Christoph Thapelo |
| author_sort | Lange, Hans-Christoph Thapelo |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131722 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:12.690Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131722 Beyond critical realism? revisiting J. Wentzel van Huyssteen’s rationality Lange, Hans-Christoph Thapelo Vosloo, Robert Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Systematic Theology & Ecclesiology. Religion and science Science -- Philosophy UCTD Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH SUMMARY: The apparent tension between religion and science was exacerbated by the rise of the logical positivist ideal of science. The pathos of much of the work of South African theologian J. Wentzel van Huyssteen was to develop a credible way to reestablish theology as a rational discipline within the wider academic community and culture. Motivated by contextual factors, van Huyssteen therefore proposed his critical realist approach in contrast to positivist theology via a metaphoric referential theory. In attempting to ascertain how his approach develops, an analysis of a selection of his works was undertaken. Writing from Princeton, van Huyssteen engaged the philosophical roots of modernity and postmodernity in foundationalism and nonfoundationalism respectively, finally proposing a postfoundational model for rationality as a third way. In his Gifford lectures—for which he refigured the directives with which the Gifford lectures were decreed— he sets out on the interdisciplinary quest of developing a nuanced doctrine on human uniqueness. The philosophical framework for this quest was given in van Huyssteen’s earlier work on postfoundationalism. For this reason, the disciplines of cognitive epistemology, paleoanthropology, neuroscience, and evolutionary psychology were investigated in terms of the perspectives they can provide on what makes humans unique. Their influence on the theology with which van Huyssteen participates in the interdisciplinary conversation was analysed. The salient features of van Huyssteen’s work and consequent development are thus outlined and highlighted. Moreover, his proposed theology was analysed for consistency with his own criteria of critical realism. It was found that van Huyssteen remains consistent with his intent and largely—though not fully—conforms to these criteria. A remaining positivist influence on critical realism was identified, but was nuanced by considering van Huyssteen’s chosen audience and also the potential theologies that a postfoundational rationality could host. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die oenskynlike spanning tussen geloof en die wetenskap is vererger deur die opkoms en gewildheid van die logies positivistiese ideaal van wetenskap. Die patos van baie van die Suid-Afrikaanse teoloog J. Wentzel van Huyssteen se werke was om ʾn geloofwaardige wyse te ontwikkel waarop teologie herbevestig kon word as ʾn rasionele dissipline binne die akademie en akademiese kultuur. Deur kontekstuele faktore gemotiveer stel van Huyssteen dus sy kritiese realistiese aanslag voor in teenstelling met positivistiese teologie via ʾn metaforiese referensiele teorie. Om die wyse waarop hierdie aanslag ontwikkel is te probeer bepaal is daar ʾn keuring van sy werke analiseer. Vanuit Princeton Universiteit tree van Huyssteen in gesprek met die filosofiese vertrekpunte van modernisme en postmodernisme in beide fondamentalisme en nie-fondamentalisme. Ten einde stel hy ʾn postfondametalistiese model vir rasionaliteit as derde wyse voor. In sy Gifford lesings—waarvoor hy die riglyne waarmee die Gifford lesings bepaal is verwerk— begin hy sy interdissiplinere poging om ʾn genuanseerde denkwyse te formuleer vir menslike uniekheid. Die filosofiese raamwerk vir hierdie soektog word in van Huyssteen se vroeer werk oor postfondametalisme bevestig. Gevolglik, word die dissiplines van kognitiewe epistemologie, paleoantropologie, neurowetenskap, en evolusionere sielkunde vir hierdie doeleinde ondersoek in terme van die perspektiewe wat daar gevind kan word oor wat mense uniek maak. Elke dissipline se invloed op die teologie waarmee van Huyssteen deelneem in die interdissiplinere diskoers word ook analiseer. Die opvallende kenmerke van van Huyssteen se werk en die daaropvolgende ontwikkelings word dus uiteengesit en beklemtoon. Nog te meer word sy voorgestelde teologie ontleed en die konsekwentheid daarvan word beoordeel teenoor sy eie kriteria van kritiese realisme. Daar is gevind dat van Huyssteen konsekwent in sy doelwit bly en oorweldigend—alhoewel nie volledig nie—aan sy eie kriteria voldoen. Positivisme se blywende invloed op kritiese realisme is identifiseer, maar die nuanses daarvan is deur van Huyssteen se gekose gehoor in ag te neem sowel as die potensiele teologiee wat so ʾn postfondamentele rasionaliteit kon ondersteun, uitgebrei. Masters 2025-02-20T09:58:35Z 2025-02-20T09:58:35Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131722 en_ZA Stellenbosch University viii, 135 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Religion and science Science -- Philosophy UCTD Lange, Hans-Christoph Thapelo Beyond critical realism? revisiting J. Wentzel van Huyssteen’s rationality |
| title | Beyond critical realism? revisiting J. Wentzel van Huyssteen’s rationality |
| title_full | Beyond critical realism? revisiting J. Wentzel van Huyssteen’s rationality |
| title_fullStr | Beyond critical realism? revisiting J. Wentzel van Huyssteen’s rationality |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond critical realism? revisiting J. Wentzel van Huyssteen’s rationality |
| title_short | Beyond critical realism? revisiting J. Wentzel van Huyssteen’s rationality |
| title_sort | beyond critical realism revisiting j wentzel van huyssteen s rationality |
| topic | Religion and science Science -- Philosophy UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131722 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT langehanschristophthapelo beyondcriticalrealismrevisitingjwentzelvanhuyssteensrationality |