The
NP VAN WYK LOUW CENTRE
The purpose of the NP van Wyk Louw Centre is to ensure that the classical university idea (the classical education ideal or the character formation ideal) is established and fostered at Akademia and shared with the larger community.
The highest ideals of the classical university are rooted in the Christian faith and the viewpoints of the Western culture. In other words, Akademia is rooted in ‘Jerusalem’ (the source of our faith); ‘Athens’ (the source of our thoughts) and ‘Rome’ (the source of our sense for order and justice).
From its Christian and classical roots, Akademia is committed to the pursuit of the true, the good and the beautiful.
– Prof. Danie Goosen, executive head: Academics
From its earliest moments, the classical university was committed to shaping the thinking and character of students based on the aforementioned ideals; to prepare them for an excellent professional life as well as for full citizenship in their culture and community.
A central characteristic of today’s university life is to replace the pursuit of the truth, the beauty and the goodness with materialistic, relativistic, pragmatic and individualistic aims. With its commitment to the highest ideals of classical university life, the NP van Wyk Louw Centre offers a directional answer to today’s university life.
What is the
CLASSICAL UNIVERSITY IDEA?
The core of the classical university idea (also the classical education ideal) is concluded in the pursuit of the insight in the truth, goodness and beauty of the creation. In and through this pursuit the ‘academic life’ comes to its full potential.
For the sake of clarity, a distinction can be made between the theoretical and practical dimensions of the classical education ideal. Akademia’s point of view is that both the theoretical and the practical dimensions are important.
Ter wille van helderheid kan tussen die teoretiese en praktiese dimensies van die “vormingsideaal” onderskei word. Akademia gaan uit van die standpunt dat sowel die teoretiese as die praktiese dimensies belangrik is.
Akademia aims to deliver students who are characterised both by an excellent knowledge of their respective disciplines and by insight into the coherence between the different disciplines. Formulated with the aid of the age-old distinction between the ‘parts and the whole’: After completing their studies, students not only possess outstanding knowledge of a partial aspect of the whole, but also insight into the whole itself.
Akademia, by way of the classical education ideal, is also connected to the practical formation of the character of students.
Because of the fragmentation of the Christian-Western world into a multitude of conflicting life and worldviews, universities today are no longer committed to character formation. In lieu of character formation, one-sided emphasis is placed on the individual rights of the unattached student/consumer.
Akademia’s point of view is that character formation in a time of fragmentation represents a guiding ideal for the contemporary student. By means of character formation, students come ‘home’ in a world characterised by a sense of wholeness rather than fragmentation.
Why exactly the
NP VAN WYK LOUW CENTRE?
NP van Wyk Louw represents an intellectual peak in the history of the Afrikaans cultural life. Louw linked himself in his work (among other things in Liberale nasionalisme “Liberal nationalism”) to the above three ‘cities’; the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty, as well as the central emphasis on the importance of insight in the whole. With the name ‘NP van Wyk Louw Centre’, Akademia commits itself to a recognition and development of the intellectual highlights that Louw represents in the Afrikaans intellectual landscape.
What resorts under
THE CENTRE?
The NP van Wyk Louw Centre is responsible for the following overall tasks:
The centre ensures that the staff of Akademia are trained in the classical education ideal on a continuous basis. Lectures, presentations, discussions, etc., are offered to both ‘old’ and ‘new’ staff.
The centre ensures that the lecturers of Akademia integrate the classical education ideal in their respective disciplines.
The centre ensures that lecturers report on their progress regarding the integration of the classical education ideal.
The centre supports the integration of the classical education ideal in student life (sport, culture, etc.).
The centre supports the integration of the classical education ideal into the general culture on campus. Distinctive university rituals (graduation ceremonies, defence of dissertations, academic processions, etc.), public gatherings (lectures, discussions, etc.) and symbols (own aesthetics, images and metaphors) on campus give concrete expression of the classical education ideal.
The centre is the ‘idea forum’ of Akademia. Through the centre, research is done on fundamental ideas (the historical origins of the contemporary crisis of ideas; the contemporary ‘battle for ideas’ and directional answers).
The centre ensures that the classical education ideal is communicated to the Afrikaans language and culture community by means of, among other things, public lectures and the media in general, and that community is persuaded of its greatness and guiding nature.
The centre ensures that Akademia connects with universities, thought forums and academics in the international world who are committed to the classical education ideal. Such liaison takes place by way of mutual visits, lectures, interviews, and so on.
Since 2021 Carel Boshoff is the first holder of the NP van Wyk Louw honorary chair in cultural criticism.
The centre is responsible for the management of the NP van Wyk Louw honorary chair in Cultural Studies (arranging honorary lectures on a regular basis, publications of the honorary chair, etc.).
Public lectures: 8 May, 7 August, 4 September, 9 October
Theology and Philosophy Conference: 22-24 July
NP van Wyk Louw Centre’s student camp: 20-23 September
LEESSTOF
Carel Boshoff, hoof van die Vryheidstigting, is aangewys as die eerste bekleër van die NP van Wyk Louw-ereleerstoel van Akademia.
Vanaf die agtiende eeu word die moderne era gekenmerk deur verskeie rewolusies wat soos golwe oor ons wêreld breek. In ʼn sekere sin begin die rewolusies by die Franse Rewolusie van 1789, maar word voortgesit (dikwels met verhewigde intensiteit) deur rewolusies
Ek het vir professor Reitze Rodseth saam met sy vrou, Miranda, en twee seuns, Joshua en Nathan in 2017 in Pietermaritzburg ontmoet toe ek en twee vriende vir so paar dae by sy gesin aan huis was. Naas sy reeds indrukwekkende akademiese CV was hy toe boonop nog deeltyds besig met ʼn M-graad in filosofie.
Die NP van Wyk Louw-sentrum is op 25 Mei 2023 tydens ʼn funksie by Akademia se Centurion-kampus bekendgestel. Die gaste by die bekendstelling is toegespreek deur prof. Danie Goosen, Akademia se akademiese hoof, dr. Daniël Maritz, bestuurder van die NP van Wyk Louw-sentrum en dr. Carel Boshoff wat dié sentrum se ereleerstoel beklee. Esté Gross het as seremoniemeester vir die aand opgetree.
Ter viering van Jeugmaand in Junie kyk ons na die jeug as dienaars vir hul tuistes. Daar is die ideologiese tendens onder hedendaagse universiteite wat aanspraak daarop maak dat universiteite die jeug moet voorberei om hul loopbaan weg van hul tuistes af na te jaag. Jack Baker en Jeffrey Bilbro konfronteer in die hart van hulle boek oor Wendell Berry, Amerikaanse digter en denker, juis hierdie ideologiese tendens.
Akademia se eerste internasionale Teologie en Filosofie-konferensie het vanjaar vanaf 13 tot 15 Julie in Centurion plaasgevind. Hierdie gebeurtenis sal vanaf vanjaar DV ’n jaarlikse instelling by Akademia wees wat poog om ’n ruimte te skep waar die ryk samehang tussen die dissiplines van teologie en filosofie weer herwin kan word.
Op 20 Julie het die NP van Wyk Louw-sentrum vir prof. Johann Rossouw van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) ontvang om ʼn openbare lesing te lewer. Rossouw is hoof van die Departement Filosofie en Klassieke Studies. Hy fokus in sy navorsing onder meer op die vraag van die verhouding tussen die moderniteit en tradisie, asook op ʼn teologies-filosofiese kritiek op die moderniteit.
C.S. Lewis was uiters diep ingegrawe in antieke literatuur en kon baie van hierdie antieke tekste boonop ook in hul oorspronklike tale van, onder andere, Grieks en Latyn lees. Nadat hy ’n Christen geword het, het hy ook die Nuwe Testament van hoek tot kant in Grieks bestudeer. In 1959 het Lewis die geleentheid gekry om die teologiestudente van Cambridge toe te spreek.
Die Discovery Institute (DI), geleë in Seattle, VSA, het vanjaar ʼn span van drie kenners na Suid-Afrika gestuur. Hierdie kenners is ʼn prokureur en geoloog, dr. Casey Luskin, ʼn fisikus, dr. Brian Miller en ʼn historikus, dr. Richard Weikart. Akademia was bevoorreg om tydens hul besoek aan Suid-Afrika gasheer te wees vir ʼn tweedagkonferensie vanaf 28 tot 29 Augustus.
Dit is verder geen geheim dat die meeste studies oor die fenomeen van uitbranding aantoon dat dit jaarliks en wêreldwyd aan die toeneem is nie. Die meerderheid mense wat byvoorbeeld vir vyf jaar al by ’n bepaalde maatskappy werk, stel dat hul stres en werkslading elke jaar aan die toeneem is soos wat verwagtinge om te presteer ook toeneem.
Hoekom is sogenaamde “liberale” opvoeding en opleiding, soos wat ons by Akademia nastreef enigsins noodsaaklik? Die skrywer, Mark Kalthoff, gee ʼn kort en kragtige antwoord op hierdie vraag soos wat hy ons weer terugwys na die bronne toe. Die taak van studie moet nie nagejaag word vir sy eie onthalwe en bybedoelings nie, want slegs dan kan dit die siel oriënteer na die ware, goeie en skone toe.
Thomas Howe deel in hierdie artikel sy waarnemings oor die impak van postmodernisme op verskeie aspekte van die samelewing en menswees. Hy fokus onder andere op postmodernisme se invloed op die wetenskap, waarheid, en rede. Uiteindelik wys hy die inherente teenstrydighede van postmodernisme uit op ʼn produktiewe en sinvolle manier, en doen dit vanuit die bronne van die Christendom en gesonde rede.
Die konsep “wêreldbeskouing” word gereeld deur veral teoloë, sosioloë en filosowe gebruik. Die vraag wat presies ʼn wêreldbeskouing is, word egter nie altyd krities oor nagedink nie. Daniël Maritz en Karnu van Heerden pak hierdie vraag op ʼn genuanseerde manier aan. As dit verkeerd verstaan word, kan die konsep van “wêreldbeskouing” eerder afbreuk doen aan die werklikheid en ons deelname daarin. Solank as wat die werklikheid dus behoue bly binne die raamwerk van metafisiese realisme, kan die konsep “wêreldbeskouing” vrugtevol gebruik word.
CONTACT US
Feel free to contact the NP van Wyk Louw Centre at npvw@akademia.ac.za or call (+27)861 222 888.
Bly op hoogte van die NP van Wyk Louw-sentrum se nuus en gebeure
