Collected Works by Herman Dooyeweerd, Series A and Series B (16 vols.)

Series A: Original Works

This series brings together Dooyeweerd’s major systematic philosophical writings in their final, fully translated English editions. These texts lay out his Philosophy of the Cosmonomic Idea — his reformational Christian philosophy that sought to provide a radically biblical alternative to both secular and scholastic thought.

The works in Series A include his largest and most influential writings on epistemology, ontology, anthropology, law, and the nature of theoretical thought.

A New Critique of Theoretical Thought (4 volumes): Dooyeweerd’s magnum opus — a detailed philosophical system explaining his theory of modal aspects, the transcendental critique of theoretical thought, and the idea of religious ground motives. This is the fullest exposition of his epistemology and philosophical framework.

Reformation and Scholasticism in Philosophy (3 volumes): A profound study of the conflict between reformational and scholastic traditions in Christian philosophy, showing how Greek and medieval thought shaped Western theology and calling for a radical break with unbiblical dualisms.

Encyclopedia of the Science of Law (2 volumes): This is Dooyeweerd’s unfinished but influential outline of his philosophy of law, exploring the structure of legal norms, social institutions, and the relation between law and other societal spheres.

Series B: Articles and Occasional Writings

While Series A gathers Dooyeweerd’s major systematic books, Series B collects his shorter writings: published essays, lectures, booklets, and topical studies that expand and apply his reformational philosophy to concrete cultural, social, legal, and political questions.

These works are generally more accessible than his systematic volumes and show how he connected his transcendental ideas to practical societal issues. They’re a goldmine for seeing Dooyeweerd’s thought in action — tackling questions about history, politics, humanism, culture, and Christian philosophy’s role in the modern world.

Time, Law, and History (Vol. 14) explores the structure of time and its implications for law and the unfolding of historical development.

The Crisis in Humanist Political Theory (Vol. 16) is a critique of secular political theory, showing its religious ground motives and internal tensions.

Essays in Legal, Social, and Political Philosophy (Vol. 17) is a rich collection covering topics like the state, society, sovereignty, and spheres of law.

The Roots of Western Culture (Vol. 18) is one of his most popular accessible works, tracing how Greek, medieval, and humanist thought shaped modern culture — and calling for a genuinely biblical alternative.

In the Twilight of Western Thought (Vol. 19) is a concise introduction to his philosophy, highlighting the religious presuppositions underlying all theoretical thought.

Christian Philosophy & the Meaning of History (Vol. 21) reflects on the nature of history from a Christian perspective, pushing back against secular historicism.

Political Philosophy (Vol. 22) is a later volume that focuses specifically on political theory, the nature of the state, and Christian principles for politics.