The original is in Dutch (left hand page). The right hand page is an English translation of these lectures that give a tightly formulated introduction to Calvinist philosophy. Introduction by Anthony Tol. Preface by Calvin Seerveld.

As Anthony Tol explains in his general introduction to (his translation of) Vollenhoven's 1926 inaugural address, the Reformed epistemology that Vollenhoven espouses here is essentially three-layered. Most basic is the intuition - the starting point of all knowing. It starts with discerning. Then there is knowledge. At this point language, communication, and judgments are relevant. The third layer is thought. Thought may disclose and renew or criticize and correct against the background of what we know. Thought is also central to concept formation. The factor that runs through these three layers is truth, taken realistically. It has its seat in the intuition of discerning. It is central to knowledge, for the essence of knowledge is said to be "possessing truth." And in connection with thought, or more particularly in concept formation, the latter is described as "truth grasped in a form." Apart from advocating his own understanding of epistemology in this inaugural address, Vollenhoven takes issue with how epistemology is generally understood. The critique is cast in a historical overview.

This work is a study of Reformed philosophy at the time of its emergence in the Netherlands in the 1920s, as founded by Dirk Vollenhoven and Herman Dooyeweerd. Vollenhoven provided the framework for critical discussion of influential neo-Kantian themes within their intellectual milieu and of protestant scholasticism within the tradition of the Reformation. The Reformed philosophy that took shape is usually attributed to Dooyeweerd. But Vollenhoven's role calls for more open recognition. Not only did he maintain a distinct position on important issues, his initial framework also influenced the subsequent understanding of Reformed philosophy.

An English translation of university lectures (1930-1945) that give a tightly formulated introduction to Calvinist philosophy. Translated by John H. Kok. Introduction by Anthony Tol. Preface by Calvin Seerveld