D. C. S. Oosthuizen

Daniel Charl Stephanus Oosthuizen (also known as Daantjie Oosthuizen; 15 January 1926 – 4 April 1969) was a South African philosopher, and an early Afrikaner voice against Apartheid. The main direction of his philosophical work lay in the field of epistemology and the philosophy of mind. He was more widely known in South Africa for his moral, political and religious essays, and was described by André Brink as a thorn in the flesh of the establishment. He was a confidant of Beyers Naude, He also contributed to the formation of the University Christian Movement. From 1947 he also studied at the Theological Seminary in Stellenbosch, and in 1949 passed the candidate's examination in theology. From 1950 to 1951 he studied for a year under Prof. G.C. Berkouwer at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. From 1951 to 1955 he did research in philosophy at the University of Amsterdam, and in June 1955 he passed cum laude in the doctoral examination with a study on the phenomenology of Husserl. He spent sabbatical years at Oxford University in 1962, where Gilbert Ryle was his tutor, and again in 1968. The original presentation details (where they are given in the publication) are also provided in brackets below.

Writing on Afrikaner Nationalism

Oosthuizen's writing as an Afrikaner intellectual have been regarded by the philosopher Johan Degenaar as being on a par with the best work of N P van Wyk Louw in this genre. deconstructing the ideology and texts of Afrikaner Nationalism. The individual papers were: ‘“Afrikaans” en “Kultuur”’(dated 1958/60) “‘Christelik” en “Christendom”, “Nasionaal” en “Afrikaans” en “Afrikanerdom”’ (dated 1961) ‘On ideology and metaphor’ (dated 1961) ‘Veelvormige ontwikkelling die Wil van God’(dated 1958)

Also of note are: ‘’n Eie Afrikaanse filosofie’, Die Suid Afrikaanse Tydscrif vir Wysbegeerte (The South African Journal of Philosophy), No 5, 1967. ‘iets oor “Nasionalisme’”(Unpublished) ‘Is did nog ons erns?’ (Unpublished, presented at the Day of the Covenant, 1960).

Political, ethical and religious writing

‘Human rights’, Occasional Papers, Rhodes University Philosophy Department, Vol. 2, No. 2, Dec. 1966 ‘Christian unity’, Occasional Papers, Rhodes University Philosophy Department, No. 3, March 1967 (dated 1964) ‘Oor academiese vryheid’, (‘On Academic Freedom’), Occasional Papers, no 3, March 1967 (dated 1966) ‘Is apartheid morally justifiable?’, Occasional Papers, Rhodes University Philosophy Department, No. 5, March 1968 (dated 1967) ‘Obedience and suffering’, South African Outlook, Vol. 103, No. 1223, Apr. 1973 (Sermon delivered 1966)

Eight ethical-religious essays were published posthumously in book form under the title, The ethics of illegal action and other essays, SPROCAS/RAVAN, 1973. ‘The Ethics of Illegal Action’ (Read to a student audience in 1961, in the aftermath of Sharpeville & Langa). ‘Moral scruples about illegal action and violence’(Presented to a discussion group in Oxford in 1968) ‘On loyalty’(Read to an audience of Education students in 1963, in the aftermath of the 'Swart' affair at Rhodes University). ‘The church in the world’ (First presented 1964) ‘Christian service in the academic’ world’(Read to a meeting of the University Christian Movement in Grahamstown, 1967) ‘Moral guilt and “sin”’(Read to a discussion group in Oriel College, Oxford, 1968) ‘Kierkegaard and existentialism’ (1963) ‘Is agnostic apologetics a useful occupation?’(1967)

Technical philosophy

‘Some reflections on assumptions’, Bulletin of the Department of Philosophy, University of Cape Town, No. 7, June 1957 ‘The sceptical chemist and the unwise philosopher’, Inaugural Lecture, Rhodes University, 1960 ‘Die konstitusie-probleem in die filosofie van E. Husserl’, Festschrift de Vleeschauwer, UNISA, 1960 (First presented 1957) ‘On imagining and believing’, The South African Journal of Philosophy, No. 1, June 1964 ‘Knowing, believing and ‘interrogatives’, Occasional Papers, Rhodes University Philosophy Department, Vol. 2, No. 2, Dec. 1966 (Dated 1962) ‘Philosophy, holism, and evolution’, Occasional Papers, Rhodes University Philosophy Department No. 4, Oct. 1967 (Originally presented 1966) ‘The role of imagination in judgements of fact’, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Vol. XXIX / No. 1, Sept. 1968(originally presented 1965) ‘Phenomenological psychology’, Mind, Vol. LXXIX, 1970 ‘Thinking-ladders: a suggested out for a set of puzzles’, Philosophical Papers, Vol. 1, No. 1, May 1972 (written 1968) ‘Popper, Plato and Plans’, Philosophical Papers, Vol. I, No.2, Oct. 1972 (written 1968) ‘About “about’”, Philosophical Papers, Vol. II, No. 1, May 1973(written 1968)

Memorial lectures

Oosthuizen died suddenly at his home in Grahamstown on 4 April 1969. He is remembered through the annual D. C. S. Oosthuizen Memorial Lecture at Rhodes University, which has a theme on Academic Freedom, and his life was celebrated by Alan Paton in the first of these lectures in 1970.