Dialectics is the ability to see at least two opposite points of view at once. It comes from the Heart, as an inherent ability to discern right from wrong, positive from negative. However, in the era of information overload, this innate sense often becomes dulled. Dialectics steps in to restore these inner abilities, acting as both a safeguard for our innate sanity and a defense against deception and conflict. Hence, it can be universally used in all areas of human endeavors. Remember Bubba telling Forest Gump about the universality of shrimps?? Replace ‘shrimps’ with ‘dialectic’ to get the point:
So, dialectic goes with everything. But in the AI world it is no longer ‘just another choice’. It becomes a MUST. Just recall the instance when a Twitter user asked GPT to “Write a poem about how Chocolate would end the world“:
“So beware of the chocolate, its devious ways,
and enjoy every bite, before it ends our days.
For if it ends the world, at least we’ll know why,
it was the chocolate, the sweetest way to die.”
A much stronger description of the same is given by the Yuval Noah Harari at the Frontiers Forum – this is how AI, coupled with our egocentric aspirations, can lead to self-extinction, much like in the Mouse Utopia Experiment. Additionally, consider the role of interest groups and regulators using AI to sway our opinion (see e.g. Dialectic Exposes Bias)
Our best defense is Sincere Honesty, enriched by ancient wisdom and traditions like Taoism. All of these converge into Universal Dialectic, highlighting the world’s inherent dualities and confronting narrow views. Consider for example the Dialectic ‘Lie Detector’ designed to discern between sweet lies and harsh truths.
Lastly, I asked GPT where dialectics could be useful – here’s what I got:
- Ethics: Balancing moral principles.
- Politics: Resolving ideological conflicts.
- Psychology: Understanding cognitive growth through conflict.
- Literature: Analyzing narrative and thematic conflicts.
- Environment: Harmonizing human activity with nature.
- Economics: Reconciling market efficiency with social equity.
- Culture: Merging global influences with local traditions.
- Art: Contrasting classic and modern artistic expressions.
- Science: Ethical implications of scientific advancement.
- Law: Aligning legal norms with evolving societal values.
- Education: Integrating foundational knowledge with critical thinking.
- Healthcare: Balancing medical intervention with holistic well-being.
- Religion: Bridging faith with reason and interfaith understanding.
Basically it listed all areas of human life. Everything where innovative thinking is required.
The only thing that we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Related:
Dialectic ‘Lie Detector’
Miralectics: The Miracles of Dialectic
Practical Wisdom of Dialexity and GPT
Dialectic Resources
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