ABSTRACT
The neo-Kantian origins of Herman Dooyeweerd’s thought are shown by the fact that his transcendental critique of theoretical thought lies at heart of his philosophy. An important difference between them is that Dooyeweerd uses his transcendental critique to show that the ultimate transcendental conditions for all theoretical thought are of a religious nature. Dooyeweerd tries to achieve two ends with his transcendental critique. On the one hand he wants to demonstrate that there is a religious antithesis between Christian and non-Christian thought and that therefore a Christian philosophy is possible. On the other hand he wants his transcendental critique to provide a basis for communication and dialogue between Christian and non-Christian philosophies. Dooyeweerd intends his transcendental critique to be more than merely an oratio pro domo. A transcendental critique is therefore by definition ‘neutral,’ and this ‘neutrality’ is a necessary condition for the very possibility of the religious antithesis the transcendental conditions of which the critique is supposed to determine.
