Os pilares da nação: a antítese cristã no debate sobre a reconstrução dos Países Baixos segundo a filosofia de Herman Dooyeweerd

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the debate surrounding the Christian antithesis and its implications for the structure of Dutch society in the context of the Netherlands' reconstruction after World War II, with the Dutch Reformed philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd as the main interlocutor. To do so, it explores the origins of the conception of the Christian antithesis and the Calvinist pillar in Dutch society. Similarly, it examines the German occupation of Dutch territory and the resulting social transformations. Furthermore, it explores the emergence and consolidation of the Dutch National Movement, which sought to overcome the Christian antithesis in favor of a synthesis between Christianity and Dutch humanism. Finally, it investigates the response offered by Herman Dooyeweerd in the weekly publication Nieuw Nederland, wherein he presented a defense of the relevance of the Christian antithesis in the post-war context, based on an analysis of the religious ground-motives at work in Western culture. The undertaking of this research is indispensable due to the growing interest in the publication and popularization of Herman Dooyeweerd's works and philosophy in Brazil, which remains relatively unfamiliar within academic circles. To this end, a bibliographic research was conducted, coupled with the analysis of relevant documents and pamphlets published during the specified period. Consequently, it was possible to observe the cultural influence exerted by Calvinism on the Netherlands in the first half of the 20th century, as it provided clear and nuanced responses to the challenges posed by secularization during the crisis of the West.