Practice in Dialectical Thinking: Introduction

Module: Practice in Dialectical Thinking

Session: Introduction

Chapter Headings:

  • Dialectical Thinking Has To Do With A Stance And The Tools
  • Distinguishing Between What Is Actual And What Is Real
  • Thinking Precedes Acting
  • Table Of Thought Forms
  • Table Of Questions About Thought Forms
  • Cognitive Interview Evaluations
  • Thought Form 1 Is About Unceasing Change
  • Four Moments Of Dialectic With Seven Thought Forms Each
  • Assigning Weights To The Articulation Of A Thought Form: Fluidity Index
  • People Are Disproportionately Thinking In One Quadrant Or Moment Of Dialectic
  • Thought Forms As Mind Openers
  • Cognitive Interview Coding Example
  • Ways To Learn Thought Forms
  • Dialectical Thinking Is In Search Of Truth
  • Four Moments Of Dialectic Emerge From Formal Logic
  • Critical Thinking
  • Constructive Thinking
  • Transformation Thought Form 22, Limits Of Stability
  • The Four Quadrants of Dialectic
  • Uncovering Hidden Implications: The Example of “I have changed”
  • Visual Depictions: Visualizing the Moments of Dialectic
  • Homework and Future Applications
  • The Actual World And The Real World
  • The World Of Empirical Science
  • Making The Effort
  • Cognitive Development Formal Logic To Dialectical Thought
  • Critical And Constructive Thinking

Topics: Dialectical thinking is/as 

  • a way of positioning oneself toward the world; Epistemic Position, Stance
  • an attempt to render the four quadrants of dialectic in thought; the nature of the four moments of dialectic, absence and negativity, preservative negation
  • a mental realization of the four quadrants of dialectic based on thought forms; dialectical thought forms as thinking tools, the four classes of thought forms, the 28 individual thought forms
  • a method of opening one’s own and others’ minds; thought forms as mind openers
  • a method of text analysis and text evaluation; the Cognitive Behavior Graph, Fluidity Index, Phase of Dialectical Thinking

Introduce listening for thought forms in interviews and more unstructured conversations and discussions using the “Table of Questions about Thought Forms” in section B3 of the Dialectical Thought Form Manual (DTFM).

Introduce challenging interlocutors and each other to adopt more in-depth thinking than formal logic has to offer using the “Thought Forms as Mind Openers” in section B4 of the DTFM. As a guide, the instructor can lead students to reflect on how, from a single TF, many different challenge questions can be developed, either for self-reflection or for prompting an interlocutor to “think more deeply.”

Practice in dialectical thinking about the structure of one’s own thinking and that of collaborators: a formal, linear way of taking successive steps from beginner to expert; progressive exercises for meta-thinking.

Simple: recognize the four classes of thought forms (4 TF classes CPRT) as they derive from the four moments of dialectic.

Identify others’ TFs: Analyze and classify pictures and texts using the four classes (4 TF classes CPRT).

Once the analytical task has been accomplished, the experiences made become the basis of a progression of the thinker to reflect- and use tasks, each of which can be simple, medium, or complex.

Reflect on own TFs: Reflect on a problem using the four classes.

Reflection tasks are concerned with self-reflection and are pursued alone or in a group, while Use tasks involve communication via speech or text.

Use in speech and texts: Ask questions, describe and illuminate using the four classes.

Listening in terms of the four moments of dialectic is the most important capability in dialectical thinking, and the above (and following below) processes clarify the nature of the four moments of dialectic and their associated thought forms, as well as their function in deep-thinking dialog.

Summary 

Explore the concept of “thought forms,” which represent various modes of thinking that encompass process, context, relationship, and transformation. Through these thought forms, argue for the importance of recognizing the interconnectedness of these different modes of thought, thereby enabling a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the world. Emphasize that dialectical thinking is not simply about analyzing information but also about searching for truth through critical and constructive thinking. Ultimately, the seminar seeks to equip participants with a toolkit for more complex and insightful thinking. 

Main Themes  

Dialectical thinking as a stance and a set of tools: This thinking style goes beyond static logic and embraces transformation, change, and the interconnectedness of things.

The four moments of dialectic: Process, Context, Relationship, and Transformational System. These moments provide a framework for analyzing and understanding complex phenomena.

Thought forms as mind-openers: These specific thinking patterns, categorized under the four moments, help us see situations from multiple perspectives and ask deeper questions.

Moving beyond meaning-making towards truth-seeking: Dialectical thinking acknowledges the subjective nature of meaning but also strives for a more objective understanding of reality. 

References to Measuring Hidden Dimensions Volume 2, Figures and Tables (Laske, 2009; MHD V2) 

  • Fig. 2.5 Four Eras of Adult Cognitive Development (MHD V2; p. 70)
  • Fig. 5.3 Dimensions of Cognitive Development (MHD V2; p. 150)
  • Fig. 6.1 The Four Quadrants of Dialectic (MHD V2; p. 172) 
  • Table 6.1 Characteristics of the Four Classes of Thought Forms (MHD V2; p. 200) 
  • 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)

Dialectical Thinking Has To Do With A Stance And The Tools