Foundational Issues by Arnold De Graaff.

Welcome to this website dealing with foundational issues in various disciplines, like hermeneutics, exegesis, historiography, phenomenological ethics, psychology, social work, education, and issues related to my book, The Gods in Whom They Trusted; The Disintegrative Effects of Capitalism.

Foundational studies reflect on the fundamental way in which we see and understand the world; our view of human nature and society, of what drives and motivates people, the nature of human knowledge, history and human destiny. Often these issues are dealt with in philosophical studies, like anthropology, social philosophy, epistemology, cosmology, and ethics. When we systematically reflect on how we see the world and ourselves, they constitute the foundational perspective or pre-suppositions of any study or discipline. In short, they constitute our frame of reference. These fundamental pre-suppositions are not always acknowledged, but when they are they can clarify underlying issues make for meaningful discussions and interactions.

On this site (under the "Topics" tab) are a number of supporting essays relating to the interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures, which will be completed in the coming months. They deal with questions of interpretation or hermeneutics in general. Another essay focuses on Ancient Near Eastern history and historiography, the discipline of writing history. Each paper contributes to the main essay on Reading the Hebrew Scriptures Backward; the Old Bible is dead, a New Scriptures is Emerging, (2005). It will be followed by a short paper on the New Testament. Other essays will deal with psychology, psychotherapy, social work and education.