Normative Economics in the Dooyeweerdian Tradition: An Evaluative Survey

This article explores the development of normative economics in the Dooyeweerdian tradition, rooted in Dooyeweerd and Vollenhoven’s philosophy of the cosmonomic idea. Rejecting positivist accounts that reduce economics to descriptive analysis, this tradition emphasizes the intrinsic normativity of the economic aspect of reality, which is grounded in creation order. Economists such as Jan Ridder, T. P. van der Kooy, Roelf Haan, and Bob Goudzwaard sought to work out this vision and to articulate a Christian alternative to mainstream economic science. Their efforts illustrate both the promise and the challenges of constructing an economics attentive to norms of accountability, stewardship, and welfare. The article concludes that, while significant progress has been made in clarifying the nature of economic normativity, further work is needed, especially on how the economic aspect functions within concrete social and economic institutions.