Dialectic - a universal for consciousness?

Journal/Book: New Idea Psychol. 1999; 17: the Boulevard Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford Ox5 1GB, England. Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd. 251-269.

Abstract: Dialectic is a word of many meanings but used here in the classical sense of the apposition of thesis and antithesis leading to synthesis. The first, counterfactual phase is expressible symbolically by the symmetric difference $, ''one or the other, but not both''. The second, synthesis phase is taken here to correspond to the complement similar to$, consisting of commonality and context within the universe of discourse. After a brief discussion of parallels between ''events'' in quantum theory and the dialectical pair($, similar to$), it is argued that the latter is more fundamental for brain and mind, Consciousness is ''carved at the joints'' as comprising basic awareness ( = not-unconscious), self-awareness, perception and cognition factored by attention, and emotion. The dialectical pair($, similar to$) is then referred to Working Memory and Long-Term Memory, categories both mathematical and psychological, knowledge and learning, negotiation and dialogue, problem solving, affect and emotion, and brain structure and function. Coupling previous work by the author for the($, similar to$) model with the present analysis, it is concluded that the dialectical pair provides a universal for consciousness parallel to its known universal property for the most general sorts of equivalences in mathematics.

Note: Article Hoffman WC, Inst Topol Psychol, 2591 W Camino Llano, Tucson,AZ 85742 USA

Keyword(s): categories; consciousness; dialectic; dialectical psychology; emotion; symmetric difference

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