dialectic

noun

di·​a·​lec·​tic ˌdī-ə-ˈlek-tik 

1

philosophy : logic sense 1a(1)

2

philosophy

a

: discussion and reasoning by dialogue as a method of intellectual investigation

specifically : the Socratic techniques of exposing false beliefs and eliciting truth

b

: the Platonic (see platonic sense 1) investigation of the eternal ideas

3

philosophy : the logic of appearances and of illusions : the logic of fallacy

the dialectic of Kant

4

philosophy

a

: the Hegelian process of change in which a concept or its realization passes over into and is preserved and fulfilled by its opposite

also : the critical investigation of this process

b Marxism

(1)

usually dialectics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : development through the stages of thesis (see thesis sense 4), antithesis, and synthesis (see synthesis sense 2b) in accordance with the laws of dialectical materialism

(2)

: the investigation of this process

(3)

: the theoretical application of this process especially in the social sciences

5

usually dialectics plural in form but singular or plural in construction philosophy

a

: any systematic reasoning, exposition (see exposition sense 2a), or argument that juxtaposes opposed or contradictory ideas and usually seeks to resolve their conflict : a method of examining and discussing opposing ideas in order to find the truth

b

: an intellectual exchange of ideas

6

philosophy : the dialectical tension or opposition between two interacting forces or elements

Did you know?

Dialectic: Logic Through Conversation

Dialectic is a term used in philosophy, and the fact that it is closely connected to the ideas of Socrates and Plato is completely logical—even from an etymological point of view. Plato’s famous dialogues frequently presented Socrates playing a leading role, and dialogue comes from the Greek roots dia- (“through” or “across”) and -logue (“discourse” or “talk”). Dialect and dialectic come from dialecktos (“conversation” or “dialect”) and ultimately back to the Greek word dialegesthai, meaning “to converse.”

Conversation or dialogue was indeed at the heart of the “Socratic method,” through which Socrates would ask probing questions which cumulatively revealed his students’ unsupported assumptions and misconceptions. The goal, according to the definition in our Unabridged Dictionary, was to “elicit a clear and consistent expression of something supposed to be implicitly known by all rational beings.”

Other philosophers had specific uses of the term dialectic, including Aristotelianism, Stoicism, Kantianism, Hegelianism, and Marxism. Asking a series of questions was considered by Socrates a method of “giving birth” to the truth, and a related word, maieutic, defined as “relating to or resembling the Socratic method of eliciting new ideas from another,” comes from the Greek word meaning “of midwifery.”

Examples of dialectic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But this is more than just an inside-baseball story of disciplinary dialectics. —Gordon Hughes, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024

Maybe these paintings portray the dialectic between life and death. —Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

This exhibition explores the dialectic between being dandified and taking on dandyism as a means of self-fashioning. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 9 Oct. 2024

And the battle, the struggle, the dialectic of history is whether our better angels can prevail over our worst instincts. —Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 24 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dialetik, from Anglo-French dialetiqe, from Latin dialectica, from Greek dialektikē, from feminine of dialektikos of conversation, from dialektos — see dialect

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1