Die dieper reg (N.P. van Wyk Louw): Royce, regsidee, resepsie

Abstract

In an archival document playwright N.P. van Wyk Louw recognizes the influence of the American philosopher Josiah Royce (I855-I916) on his choral drama, Die dieper reg. Louw specifically attends to the explanation of Royce's concept of loyalty to loyalty - a concept which was initially used in The Philosophy of Loyalty (1908). Royce's concept has a direct bearing on the legal and ethical stance implied in the drama. The concept may also be related to the article "Die ewige trek", which Louw published in 1938. Literary critics such as Opperman, Van Rensburg and Olivier have directed their attention to the legal and ethical stance in Die dieper reg. However, until now, no attention has been paid to the influence Royce had on Die dieper reg. This article traces part of the influence Royce exerted on the work.