Consider the dialectic as a gateway to our deeper selves. We showed earlier that analyzing the dialectical orthogonalities within texts can reveal manipulative tactics of their authors, but what about the deeper manipulations within ourselves? Why don’t politicians (and many other thinkers) see bias in their own views?
I believe that in ancient times, the universal dialectic served as the foundation of all spiritual traditions, helping people to remain honest with their deepest self and thus materialize their innermost desires (think of the Vedas and Taoism, for example). But now it’s all gone, as if our Hearts and Minds can no longer work in sync. Can we get back what we had before, and how can dialectics help us do that?
The ‘Dual Dialectic’
Dialectic is non-trivial (see The Fallacy of Dialectic). Everything is a unity of opposites, but each opposite is bipolar, that is, it has both positive and negative sides. Thus, there are two types of synthesis and dialectics: “good” and “bad”. Consider the following analysis:
Scheme A assumes that the opposition of Dialectics (T) is Dogmatism (A). Then, a ‘positive’ synthesis suggests that Dialectics leads to Certainty and Transparency (the positive aspects of Dogmatism, denoted as A+), while Dogmatism, in turn, contributes to Humanism and Compassion (T+). Conversely, a ‘negative’ synthesis occurs when Dialectics results in Formalism and Ruthlessness (A-), and Dogmatism in Manipulation and Uncertainty (T-). The first scenario promotes the integration of Strong Will (Mind and Spirit) and Self-Reflection (Heart and Soul), fostering holistic growth, whereas the second leads to Over-Stretching and Over-Thinking, resulting in stagnation or lopsidedness.
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” – Lao Tzu
Mindsets and Beliefs
Scheme B (in the figure above) presents the ‘guidance map’ in the context of four mindsets: compassion, execution, investigation, and adaptation. Subsequent plots explain its meaning and implications.
The first plot analyzes interhuman interactions through two fundamental dimensions: Unity (Heart) and Confrontation (Mind). Any bias toward one side is harmful. Exaggeration of Unity leads to “uniformity” (leftist/Orwellian agenda), and exaggeration of Opposition leads to “struggle” (extremist/Marxist agenda). Only the synthesis of both – the “unity of opposites” – yields what we call “humanism.” Closest to this balance are the “consistent idealists” such as Lao Tzu, Heraclitus, and perhaps Hegel (although consider this – The Hegelian Dialectic: A Weapon of Mass Deception). Furthest away are the nihilists and “hypocritical manipulators” who serve Evil by portraying God (globalists and “saviors of humanity” of all stripes).
Idealists are people who believe in the potential of human – M. Scott Peck (see also Viktor Frankl why idealists are real realists)
The second plot depicts the “space of induction”, where “Mind” stands for logical deduction (central to science) and “Heart” symbolizes dialectical synthesis (prevalent in philosophy). In isolation, both are pernicious. Science “without Heart” becomes anti-human (Mahatma Gandhi: Sience without Humanity), while philosophy without deduction makes us weak and indecisive (A Nietzschean Critique of Metaphysical Philosophy). These two directions were supposed to be united by politics, but the latter often yields a “negative synthesis” (marked by excessive formalism and manipulation).
The third plot shows that both types of dialectics operate at multiple dimensions (see the Dialectic, Algebra, and Panpsychism). The “negative” path begins with dogmas (including “materialistic principles”) that inevitably produce Evil:
“Do away with the greatness of God, ladies and gentlemen, and you can do away with the nobility of human beings” – John Lennox (Atheist asks tough questions epic response)
The “positive” path begins with ethics, which inevitably leads to Mysticism and God. It all depends on which side leads us: materialistic dogma (“seeing is believing”) or spiritual faith (“I am stronger than circumstances”).
“The death of dogma is the birth of morality” – Immanuel Kant
The Irony of Spiral
Even if “good” and “evil” do not mix, the only way forward is their “positive unification”! Any phenomenon is still “bipolar” even if we think of them as “absolutes”. Therefore, all development is spiraling. We plan to move strictly forward, and in reality we spend many times more resources than we initially calculated. The reason for this lies in the following
The first diagram symbolizes the “positive synthesis” that leads to the “higher thesis” (T1 + A1 = T2). The lengths of T1 and A1 are equal (due to the comparability of good and bad), but the length of T2 is greater by a factor of SQRT (2). The 2nd diagram shows the synthesis of T3, which is the same as the doubled A1, as if the leading side was the antithesis! The 3rd diagram shows that 4 consecutive syntheses yield “negative” vectors as if they represent negative outcomes (as T(N) = -4 x T(N-4)), and the entire path is spiral (red bold line).
Consequently, what is actually positive may appear as negative. Examples are poisonous drugs that cure disease, or the advent of artificial intelligence, which by definition is radically anti-human, and yet is useful for accelerating “inevitable failures” (see “Fail Fast” quotes).
The Gateway to “Good’
Now let’s return to the 1st figure. The “positive synthesis” is accomplished through strong will and self-reflection that integrates our thesis with the positive aspects of what we perceive as negative. If T is natural intelligence, then A+ is AI’s ability to reveal the fallacy of any dogma. However, AI is often misleading (not only because of its “hallucinations” but also because of its “ethical guidelines” – see, for example, “Dialectic Exposes Bias“). In such a case, it is useful to develop a “personal truth graph” (like the last diagram in the last figure) that can be regularly updated (like a diary) and practiced in different scenarios. Similarly, communities and organizations can create their own “collective truth graphs”, comparable to “value and mission statements”, which can then evolve into “value bots”. The creation of such graphs can be supported by Dialectic Games and related applications.
AND YET… Why don’t we just give up artificial intelligence and other “evil things” to connect more deeply with our true selves? Why don’t sick people change the habits that caused the illness in the first place? And why do we deceive ourselves?
‘Nobody knows who I am or what I do, not even I” – Carlos Castaneda quotes
See Also:
The Dialectics of Good and Evil – article
Hegelian Dialectics of Good and Evil -Philosophy Exchange
Dialectic – Wikipedia
What is the Dialectic? | Plato, Kant, Hegel, Marx
Hegel’s Dialectical Process
Dialectical materialism
My Dialectical Resources
Modern Dialectics