The Dialectical Circumplex Model: A Theory of Dialectic and Its Implications for Education
Issue Date
2019-05-31Author
Samson, Amber-Jean Vlasti
Publisher
University of Kansas
Format
128 pages
Type
Dissertation
Degree Level
Ph.D.
Discipline
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Rights
Copyright held by the author.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A veil of mystery shrouds the origin and meaning of the dialectical method known as thesis-antithesis-synthesis. Many scholars reject the commonly-held notion that this triadic dialectic began with the enigmatic philosopher Hegel. Wheat’s recent book Hegel’s Undiscovered Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis Dialectics, however, reaffirms the connection between Hegel and the triadic dialectic while offering a reinterpretation of the Hegelian dialectical format. Still, Wheat dismisses the dialectical method as outdated and without value. With this theoretical dissertation, I seek to demystify the seemingly esoteric concept of dialectic and evaluate the potential educational value of the dialectical method. First, I trace the conceptual development of dialectic from its origins in ancient Chinese, Indian, and Greek philosophy to its more modern interpretations in German idealism and Marxism. Next, I review the applications of dialectic within the fields of psychology and education. For instance, psychological literature alternatively presents dialectical thinking as a stage of intellectual development, a cultural thinking style, and an epistemological belief. From here, I propose a new theory of dialectic, which includes a unified definition of dialectic and a reinterpretation of the Hegelian dialectical method in tetradic form. I map this tetradic dialectical format (i.e., thesis-antithesis-synthesis-diathesis) onto a two-dimensional circumplex model in what I term the dialectical circumplex model. The purpose of this conceptual model is to facilitate dialectical thinking about, generate insights into, and create a more holistic representation of complex phenomena. I demonstrate this function with a dialectical model of knowing, which applies the dialectical circumplex model to the literature on epistemological development. I also explore the educational value of dialectic by outlining a dialectical method for learning. Lastly, I discuss implications of this new theory of dialectic and identify directions for future research.
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- Education Dissertations and Theses [1065]
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