dialectic
dy-uh-LEK-tik
/ˌdaɪ.əˈlek.tɪk/
A method of philosophical argument or historical development involving contradictory forces that interact to produce a higher truth or new synthesis.
In Hegelian and Marxist thought, history moves through a dialectic of thesis opposing antithesis, resulting in a resolving synthesis.
The story behind the word. Socrates popularized dialectic as a conversational style of questioning to discover truth. Later, German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel transformed it into a theory of historical change where opposing ideas clash. Karl Marx then grounded Hegel's idealistic dialectic in concrete material and economic realities.
Word relationships
- discourse: 'Discourse' refers to general rational conversation, whereas 'dialectic' specifies logical progression through resolving contradictions.
- synthesis: 'Synthesis' is the outcome of a dialectic process, not the dynamic process itself.
- stagnation: Stagnation is lack of change or progress, opposed to the dynamic evolving nature of a dialectic.
Commonly confused with
- dialect: A dialect is a regional speech variety; a dialectic is a philosophical process of dynamic change through opposing forces.
Word family
- dialectical (adjective): Relating to logical discussion or opposing contradictory forces.
- dialectician (noun): A skilled debater or philosopher skilled in dialectic reasoning.
Collocations
- dialectic process
- historical dialectic
- dialectic relation
- dialectic materialism
Example sentences
- "The dialectic between tradition and innovation drives modern architectural design." Philosophical discussion on societal evolution.
- "My dialectic method is not only different from the Hegelian, but is its direct opposite; with me, the ideal is nothing else than the material world reflected by the human mind." Historical analysis of social change. (Karl Marx, Das Kapital Preface to the Second German Edition (1873))
Memory hook
DIA-LECTIC: DIA-logue between opposing forces that leads to NEW insights. Thesis clashes with antithesis to create synthesis.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'dialect' (a regional variety of language).
Fun facts
- Hegel's dialectic is often summarized as 'Thesis + Antithesis = Synthesis', though Hegel himself rarely used those exact three terms together!
Related words
Explore more words
dialogue, discourse, parley, deliberative, contention, contradict
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