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  DOCTORAL PROGRAMME IN MULTI-MODAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH

"Paul calls charity to edify your neighbour... to teach the ignorant: to lift up him that is fallen: to comfort and courage him that is in heaviness: to help him that labours: to succour the needy."

Erasmus of Rotterdam, The Manual of the Christian Knight

"How richly deserving of honour are the liberal sciences, which polish man, so as to give him the dignity of true humanity!"

John Calvin, Commentary on Corinthians

"These arts are called humanities, therefore, let them restore our humanity. The good God entrusted them to us, let them makes us good."

Juan Luis Vives, The Teaching of the Disciplines or Christian Education
Holbein, Erasmus of Rotterdam





Gerrit Dou, The Night School

About Multi-Modal Systems Thinking

Multi-modal systems thinking is based on the Philosophy of Christ as introduced by Erasmus and his followers. This philosophy dismissed the metaphysical pursuit of Aristotle and set up a new endeavour based on the subordination of all scientific disciplines to the wisdom of Christ and his mission to redeem and civilise humanity through Christian education. Multi-modal systems thinking extends this endeavour by incorporating concepts from systems science and cybernetics as well as Dooyeweerd's theory of modalities.




Programme's Objective

The programme aims to equip researchers with an intellectual perspective different to modernism and post-modernism and committed to serve family and community with new ideas of economics, social structure, technology and work.

Programme's Structure

Our students undertake a set of four modules to equip them for their dissertation. At the completion of this, they defend their dissertation before a body of examiners following the common university convention. Adhering to our objective of academic and scientific freedom, our centre does not award a state accredited degree and stands solely on the quality of our work. Instead of a degree, if successful, students are issued a certificate accompanied by the written reports of the examiners confirming that their theses meet the doctoral requirements.

Description of the Modules

1 Emergence of Modern Thought and Society

A historical analysis of events in the second millennium. The aim is to make students aware of the times in which we live and the historical processes which contributed to the social and cultural decline. Understanding these processes is essential for having an effective Christian impact today.

2 Principles of Multi-Modal Systems Thinking

Introduction to Christian philosophy as a grammar of science integrating the diverse disciplines into a unified body of knowledge, and that, like the Bible, focuses on life rather than Aristotelian existence. The module is based on the theory of modalities of Herman Dooyeweerd and systems science.

3 Introduction to Socio-Cybernetics

Socio-cybernetics studies the processing of information in the creation. We seek to learn from it and apply it to the handling of information in society ensuring that we design information systems to strengthen the family and community as the normal Biblical social structures for humanity.

4 Multi-Modal Systems Research Methods

Introduction to modelling methods and software for social research that are in harmony with Christian philosophy. This module provides the tools for the project which follows and ensures that the research methods the students use are in harmony with Christian scientific thought.