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Dialectic is a practice that involves a logical examination of ideas or opinions to determine the latter’s validity through questions and answers. It is a philosophical method of argument that encompasses a contradictory process between opposing parties or sides (Mitchell, 2019). The involved parties have opposing viewpoints about a given issue and the interplay leads to a greater truth. Socratic dialogue is an example of dialectic, which differs significantly from other conversations.
Socratic dialogue differs from other conversations since it does not emphasize winning and losing. According to Mitchell (2019), the involved parties focus their efforts on understanding each other and engaging in a common enterprise. Socratic dialogue accentuates the significance of conversation as a shared undertaking. Conversely, different conversations, such as discussions and arguments, comprise two or more positions that are believed to be conflicting. The main objective is to convince the other and win. Involved parties stand firm with their viewpoints and do not consider the conversation a common approach to a better understanding.
Socratic dialogue encourages the pursuance of different opinions and accommodates criticism. The involved parties acknowledge that individuals are bound to have varying viewpoints regarding a particular issue (Mitchell, 2019). Equally, they welcome criticism from those who may have contradicting perspectives, believing that the latter can enhance their understanding. Conversely, other forms of conversation do not pursue differing opinions at all, and proponents tend to say that every individual is entitled to their ideas or views (Mitchell, 2019). Examples of such conversations occur in seminars where individuals do not challenge each other’s arguments and positions. People are also determined, for often good reasons, not to offend in other dialogues, silencing the need for criticism. Therefore, Socratic dialogue emphasizes reconciliation, mutual agreement, and understanding between the involved parties.
Individuals can use Socratic methods to examine beliefs about freedom and happiness. For example, freedom is good to many people who claim to know what it is. Some questions that can be used to examine this belief about freedom are: What is freedom? Does it have limitations? How good is freedom? Is absolute freedom achievable? Who gives freedom? Equally, most people believe that they can achieve happiness by doing good. People can examine this belief by asking such questions as: What is happiness? What do people do to be happy? Do all good actions guarantee happiness?
The Meno and the Republic differentiate between knowledge and opinion for Socrates. In the Meno, Socrates indicates that true opinion refers to people’s correct belief about something (Mitchell, 2019). That opinion is helpful in an individual’s life but not for long since it is bound to depart from the mind. True opinions are of less great value because they are not fastened with reasons. For example, a person may believe that their answer to a particular question is correct, which is just an opinion if no justification is provided. Therefore, accurate opinions can be questioned regardless of their usefulness. Conversely, knowledge is the true opinion backed or fastened with reasons. Unlike the true opinion, knowledge is permanent and cannot be questioned. Socrates referred to the process of securing the true opinion in mind as recollection, making knowledge finer and better than the latter (Mitchell, 2019). Thus, persons who know can support their opinions by giving justifications.
Socrates’ distinction between opinion and knowledge in the Republic is more complicated than in the Meno. Opinion and knowledge are considered two different powers, indicating that they must have varying objects (Mitchell, 2019). Opinions are what people can believe or say about objects only in a qualified sense. However, the objects may be between what is true and what is not. On the other hand, knowledge relates to reality and is more stable and permanent. Knowledge is an everlasting, unchanging, absolute reality that is grasped through pure understanding, not senses.
Human beings cannot ever know the truth for certain because there are no definite means of confirming what people already know is accurate beyond any questionable doubt. People claim their knowledge is acquired through experience or learning to be the truth. However, everything in the world is dynamic, and humans perpetually explore new knowledge to better understand all factors that relate to them and their environment. Therefore, what may be the truth today may be disputed in the future as new information emerges. Equally, people have varying opinions about objects and take different routes to justify their beliefs. Thus, what one may be considered to be the truth is likely to be not to another.
It is challenging to attain perfect wisdom about the kinds of ideas explored by philosophers because they are complicated. Unlike wisdom, which is primarily based on assumptions, the general public has about objects and their environment, and philosophical ideas explore deeper into even what people think and believe is true. Therefore, people’s understanding of the kinds of ideas philosophers investigate is bound to have flaws.
Reference
Mitchell, H. (2019). Roots of wisdom: A tapestry of philosophical traditions (8th Ed.). Cengage Learning.
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