Dialectic and Dialogue

This book considers the emergence of dialectic out of the spirit of dialogue and traces the relation between the two. It moves from Plato, for whom dialectic is necessary to destroy incorrect theses and attain thinkable being, to Cusanus, to modern philosophers—Descartes, Kant, Hegel, Schleiermacher and Gadamer, for whom dialectic becomes the driving force behind the constitution of a rational philosophical system. Conceived as a logical enterprise, dialectic strives to liberate itself from dialogue, which it views as merely accidental and even disruptive of thought, in order to become a systematic or scientific method. The Cartesian autonomous and universal yet utterly monological and lonely subject requires dialectic alone to reason correctly, yet dialogue, despite its unfinalizable and interruptive nature, is what constitutes the human condition.

This book considers the emergence of dialectic out of the spirit of dialogue and traces a historical and systematic relation between the two. It draws on the works of ancient Greeks, as well as on the writings of Cusanus, Descartes, Kant, Hegel, Schleiermacher, and Gadamer, to argue that philosophical dialectic, which from its very inception is central to philosophy, emerges out of the seemingly haphazard practices of oral dialogical exchange. The philosophical history of dialectical methods and procedures moves from Plato through modern philosophy, where dialectic becomes the driving force behind the constitution of a rational philosophical system. Conceived as a logical enterprise, dialectic strives to liberate itself from dialogue, which it views as merely accidental and even disruptive of thought, in order to become a systematic or scientific method. Modern dialectic thus becomes a genuine expression of the Cartesian autonomous and universal yet utterly monological and solitary subject. Such a subject requires not dialogue but dialectic alone to reason correctly. Yet dialogue, despite its unfinalizable and interruptive nature, remains meaningful and complete. Indeed, it is what constitutes the human condition, because individual being, which cannot be described by dialectic, can only be realized through dialogue.

"In this beautifully written and erudite book, Dmitri Nikulin brings philosophy to life in a double sense. He shows how the method of dialectic originates in the open-ended practice of dialogue, and he engages us in a lively dialogue with thinkers of the past, both ancient and modern. Nikulin's narrative is full of original insights and surprises, such as a defense of the philosophical dignity of interruption (for which many of us have long been waiting)."--Rainer Forst, Goethe University, Frankfurt Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 1. In the Beginning: Dialogue and Dialectic in Plato......Page 16 2. Dialectic: Via Antiqua......Page 38 3. Dialectic: Via Moderna......Page 63 4. Dialogue: A Systematic Outlook......Page 87 5. Dialogue: Interruption......Page 110 6. Against Writing......Page 134 (Dialectical) Conclusion......Page 168 Notes......Page 172 "This book is one of the most interesting, intelligent, and engaging discussions of dialogue and dialectic in recent decades. While it returns us to certain practices of ancient philosophy, it can be seen paradoxically as serving the contemporary continuation of philosophy as a meaningful mode of engaged mindfulness."--William Desmond, Catholic University of LelNen Solitary subject. Such a subject requires not dialogue but dialectic alone to reason correctly. Yet dialogue, despite its unfinalizable and interruptive nature, remains meaningful and complete. Indeed, it is what constitutes the human condition, because individual being, which cannot be described by dialectic, can only be realized through dialogue. --Book Jacket Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Preface 10 1. In the Beginning: Dialogue and Dialectic in Plato 16 2. Dialectic: Via Antiqua 38 3. Dialectic: Via Moderna 63 4. Dialogue: A Systematic Outlook 87 5. Dialogue: Interruption 110 6. Against Writing 134 (Dialectical) Conclusion 168 Notes 172 0804770158,9780804770156 Stanford University Press ""Dialectic and Dialogue is a very important work, potentially a classic. It is stimulating throughout, as well as original in conception and execution--the first study to bring together these two signal concepts."--Mark Roche, University of Notre Dame This book considers the emergence of dialectic out of the spirit of dialogue and, beginning with the ancient Greeks and moving through modern philosophy, traces a historical and systematic relation between the two.