As a preparation read: A Note on Dialectic by Herbert Marcuse (1960)
(Supplemental preface to Reason & Revolution: Hegel and the Rise of Social Theory)
(https://dialecticinstitute.org/about/marcuse_dialectic.htm)
References to Measuring Hidden Dimensions Volume 2, Figures and Tables (Laske, 2009; MHD V2)
- Fig. 4.3 Subject-Object Relation over the Lifespan (MHD V2; p. 130)
- Fig. 5.1 The Epistemic Interrelatedness of Social-Emotional Stage and Phase of Cognitive Development (MHD V2; p. 138)
- Table 5.3 Epistemic Positions in Adulthood (MHD V2; p. 146)
- Fig. 5.3 Dimensions of Cognitive Development (MHD V2; p. 150)
- Table 11.5 Thought Form Selection Sheet for Donald’s Cognitive Interview (MHD V2; p. 338-348)
- Fig. 11.3 Donald’s Cognitive Behavior Graph (CBG) (MHD V2; p. 349)
Manual of Dialectical Thought Forms Section B (p. 589-624)
- Table B1 Table of Thought Forms with Contrasts (p. 590)
- Table B2 Detailed Table of Thought Forms (p. 591-594)
- Table B3 Table of Questions about Thought Forms (p. 595-609)
- Table B4 Thought Forms as Mind Openers (p. 610-617)
- Figure B5 Thought Form Selection Sheet (p. 618-619)
- Figure B6 Thought Form Coding Sheet (p. 620-621)
- Figure B7 Cognitive Behavior Graph (p. 622)
- Figure B8 Interview Agreement (p. 623-624)
The Textbook
The textbook for the Cognitive Development Module is Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems (Laske, 2009), referred to as “Volume 2.”
We focus on chapters 6-7, 11-12, and the Manual of Dialectical Thought Forms.
Chapter 6 deals with the Quadrants of Dialectic
Chapter 7 clarifies the four classes of thought forms representing the Quadrants in human thinking and offers a phasic theory of the development of dialectical thinking.
Chapter 11 presents the scoring of cognitive interviews
Chapter 12 discusses interview scoring
The Manual’s Introduction puts dialectical thinking in historical perspective
In four sections, the Manual then deals separately with each of the four classes of thought forms, giving examples for each.
Learning Objectives
Understand how systemic thinking develops by way of dialectic: The overlap of formal logical and dialectical thinking since early adulthood
Understand classes of thought forms (TF) as a tool for evaluating Systemic Thinking and as Mind Openers
Begin to learn cognitive interviewing in the Three Houses
Begin to learn interview evaluation (scoring) through TF selection
Begin to learn to interpret cognitive scores and give feedback to clients
Research in Cognitive Development
When looking for new tools in helping clients understand their thinking and think more realistically, we use research that has been done in how human thinking develops.
In this course, we rely on the following traditions:
the dialectical tradition in philosophy (Bhaskar, 1993)
research in stages of reflective judgment (King & Kitchener, 1994)
research in dialectical thinking and adult development (Basseches, 1984)
research in organizational stratification (levels of work complexity) based on cognitive- developmental level (Jaques, 1998).
These are integrated in Otto Laske’s Constructive Developmental Framework, Dialectical Thought Form Framework, Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems (2009) Volume 2; the textbook for this course.
Introduction to Cognitive Development 1
A Note On Dialectic By Herbert Marcuse
Thinking Tools
Logical Negation And Dialectical Negation
Dialectic Negation Is About Seeing The World Critically
Teaching Materials For The Course
Focus Of The Course
Developmental Theory of Thinking
What is “Thinking”?
Relatedness Of Stance And Tools
Stance And Thinking Tools Are Inseparable
Observing Your Own Thinking
Thinking Is Identifying
The Epistemic Interrelatedness of Social-Emotional Stage and Phase of Cognitive Development
Phases Of Dialectical Thinking Development Are Distinguished By Fluidity Of Thinking
The Development Of Reflective Judgment Or Epistemic Position
Four Eras Of Cognitive Development
Reason Is Dialectical
Practical Wisdom
Transition From Understanding To Reason
Subject-Object Relation Over The Lifespan
The Peak Of Cognitive Development
The Four Quadrants of Dialectic
Coordination Of Thought Forms
Thought Forms As Mind-Openers
Introduction to Cognitive Development 2
The Core Meaning Of A Quadrant: Each Quadrant Focuses On A Particular Aspect Of Reality
Process Thought Forms: Emergence And Vanishing In Time
Process And Reification
Context Thought Forms
The Dialectical Thought Form Framework Has 28 Thought Forms
Specificity Of Thought Forms
Dialectical Relationship Is About Common Ground
In Dialectical Thinking Nothing Is Absolute
Relationship Thought Forms
Transformation, Identity, And Non-Identity
Transformational Thought Form 22
Dialectical Text Analysis
Elliott Jaques’ Four Orders Of Mental Complexity
Abstract Universal And Concrete Universal
Negativity Or Absence
Epistemic Position
Dialectical Thought Forms Entailing Value Statements
Epistemic Positions 6 And 7
Mapping Epistemic Positions To Phases Of Dialectical Thinking Development
Transformational Thought Forms 27 And 28
Intermediate Summary
Exercising Dialectical Thinking
