Dialectic is a method of
discussion between two
arguments in an effort
to finding a better truth
and throughout histories,
various philosophers
have come up with their
own logic of dialectic.
Hegelian dialectic was born
during the modern philosophy time,
adopting Plato’s dialectic
with Hegel’s own touch to it.
Hegelian dialectic unites two different
determinations into one, creating a meaning
that, although the previous determination is
negated, keeps the old concepts within it.
But how exactly is the
Hegelian dialectic affecting
the studies of logic and
other subjects in the past?
Also, how does Hegelian dialectic excels
its predecessors, namely Plato’s dialectic?
Hegelian dialectic is a
very prominent dialectic
method among scholars
after Medieval times.
Hegel is also among the pioneers of
modern philosophy, inventing a method of
finding the truth without waiting for
external ideas to constantly pop up.
The Hegelian dialectical method
consists of a triadic development.
It starts with the
development of a thesis, a
moment of fixity where
everything is stable.
The definition of the said argument remains
stable until it enters the second moment,
the moment where the argument’s truth is
questioned and faced with contradictions.
Plato’s method of dialectic can lead to
nothingness should contradictions be found
to be true and requires thinkers to
wait for a new, arbitrary idea to arise.
This is not ideal, according to
Hegel, compared to his method.
With Hegelian dialectic, one can
produce a synthesis out of the
contradiction, allowing a new
understanding or determination to form.
This new determination does not
eliminate past determinations
but instead, includes them
into the new determination.
Aside from this, Hegel’s work can be categorized
into various philosophies: philosophy
of nature, philosophy of mind, philosophy
of history and philosophy of absolute mind.
In his philosophy of
history, Hegel separates
them into three
different categories.
All starts from the Oriental
imperial continued with Greek social
democracy and is ended with
Christian constitutional monarchy.
The time of Oriental imperial is a time
of stability where freedom is issued,
continued by a time when fake freedom
is issued during Greek social democracy.
The truer sense of freedom
is only attained during
the time of Christian
constitutional monarchy.
And this is not the only situation where Hegel
applies his dialectical theory as Hegel
applies it in many of
his works, such as on the
concept of being,
becoming and nothingness.
Comparing Hegel’s work on
the importance of being and
becoming to Aristotle also
brings about interesting results.
Hegel’s concept of revolving around the
fact that it is only a part of the process.
For Hegel, it is most
important to focus on the fact
that a being will not retain
that condition forever.
Changes are imminent, which
prompt Hegel to focuses
on the origin, state and
what a being will become.
Aristotle, however, considers becoming an
imperfect situation and is partly false.
Aristotle focuses on the situation of being
which he considers being the whole truth.
A table is a table, but
for Hegel, a table was a
tree and will become ash
when burnt or thrown away.
The Socratic dialogue
of classical philosophy
focuses on scrutinizing
each opinion.
Socrates loves to use enthymemes
as the base of his argument,
such as when he discusses
the matter with Euthyphro.
Aristotle method is closely
related to rhetorical dialogues.
Several formulas from Aristotle show how
the two disciplines are closely related;
for example, Aristotle
mentions that rhetoric is
actually a different part of
dialectic or antistrophos.
Rhetoric is also known as paraphuesti
or ‘outgrowth’ of dialectic.
During the medieval
philosophy, many scholars
study based on classical
philosophy, but the
transformation is visible
with more scholars
including their own
thoughts into the works.
Rhetoric, logic, and grammar are the
trio important subjects of liberal arts.
The studies are famously taught in
many universities and the dialectic
is known to possess 7 steps of
questioning to gain results.
Hegel’s 6 superior features
of dialectic against
Plato’s dialectical
method point out to the
fact that his determinations
clash to create a new
unity that contains
those old determinations.
Instead of eliminating
them when contradictions
are found, a new
synthesis is formed.
Hegel’s dialectics do not require new
external ideas to be generated randomly.
It also allows new
synthesis to not be
completely new but
consists of old opinions.
Just because a contradiction is found to
be true, it does not mean the opposite
is true, which allows this synthesis
to be constantly tested for its truth.
Hegel’s concept of being
which is being-for-itself
is much simpler than
something-other.
For example, an apple
is an apple compared
to other objects of
similar characteristics.
This comparison goes back and forth
between different apples, which is complex.
With something-other, the comparison can go
on a very long train, but being-for-itself
captures all those essences inside
one circle, keeping things simple.
However, it can also be said that being-for-itself
has something-other concept within
it and this is just another example of how
Hegelian dialectic makes things simple.
Hegelian dialectic allows more
flexibility but does not dilute the truth.
In fact, it helps
thinkers in the search of
truth without the need
to constantly hoping and
waiting for ideas to
arbitrarily pops up only
to be negated to nothing
due to contradictions.
Hegel’s purpose in forming the
dialectics is to gain an Absolute
result that contains determinations
that are not as universal.
Absolute is the highest
form of the concept.
