Background
Bierens de Haan, Johannes Diderik was born on October 14, 1866 in Amsterdam.
Bierens de Haan, Johannes Diderik was born on October 14, 1866 in Amsterdam.
Theology. University of Utrecht. Thesis on the significance of Shaftesbury in the context ol English ethics.
Minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, 1881-1906, and after 1906 free publicist.
Bierens de Haan was one of the founders of the ‘Internationale School voor Wijsbegeerte’, an international centre for courses in philosophy, founded in 1916 and still flourishing. He also founded the first general journal of philosophy in the Netherlands, the Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, still existing as the leading Dutch philosophical journal. Bierens de Haan was first of all influenced by the philosophy of Spinoza. He tried to elaborate a contemporary version of Spinozism. In his own development he started with a rationalist interpretation of Spinoza, but changed into a form of mystical Spinozist religion with a strong moral accent. This was combined with a kind of Platonic idealism, aiming at ‘inner harmony’ in the way of life. In his opinion culture is only able to develop if self-reflection and self-consciousness are present in an idealist manner and if they are accompanied by moral responsibility. The realm of spirit has to reign over the lower human abilities and functions. The ‘Idea’ is the deepest ground of reality; man has to realize the Idea in his own thinking and acting; religion can offer a helpful way to attain the highest philosophical insight. His popularizing courses, articles and books on philosophy led to a significant influence in the Netherlands.