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Difference between transcendental structural principles and subjective sociopolitical principles of society
by Herman Dooyeweerd
(Extract from A New Critique of Theoretical Thought, Vol III p 173, ‘Structures of Individuality of Temporal Human Society’)
See preceding extract HERE
The typical structural principles to which the social forms give a positive shape should be sharply distinguished from the subjective socio-political principles. The latter are results of human reflection on the fundamentals of human society and the maxims of their concrete formation in accordance with a particular cultural-historical situation. In this sense one speaks of liberal, socialistic, fascistic, communistic, Roman Catholic, Calvinistic, etc. principles for societal life. These subjective social principles are always to be tested against the normative structural principles founded in the temporal divine world-order, which determine the inner nature of the different societal relationships and the mutual relations between the latter.
It is undeniable that the process of formation of human society is influenced to a high degree by the subjective social principles which have acquired a socio-cultural control over the majority of the members of a cultural community. But it would be incorrect to overestimate their role. Subjective social principles may contradict the essential structural principles of human society founded in the divine world-order. The latter is the order of reality, which can never be set aside without destructive consequences for human societal life.
This is also the reason why veritable positive structural norms are constitutive for the factual [de facto] societal relationships. They are not merely “ideal” standards for valuating the latter, but really give a positive form to their inner nature.
It is true that this formation can occur in a better or worse way in proportion to its being guided by better or worse subjective social principles. But apart from the typical structural principles which determine the inner nature of the different societal relationships, there can be no question of real positive societal norms. (NEXT EXTRACT)
(Herman Dooyeweerd, A New Critique of Theoretical Thought, Vol III p 173, Structures of Individuality of Temporal Human Society)
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