The Beginning of Dialectics in Pre-Socratic, Greek Epistemology and Science

'Dialectics' -- at least within the context of Hegel's Hotel -- refers to the battle of opposing ideas (within the context of man's mind and spirit) and whether these opposing ideas come together -- or lend themselves to coming together -- into some sort of integrative compromise; or alternatively, whether they continue to do 'dialectical battle' with each other even thousands of years after their known initial confrontations in the history of man.

We can distinguish between these two types of dialectics respectively with the names of: 1. 'integrative' or 'homeostatic' dialecics; vs. 2. 'will to power, 'righteous, eihter/or', or 'control' dialectics.

It is not unusual for both types of dialectic dynamics to be taking place at essentially the same time as two polar positions collide with each other in the minds and spirits of men and women, and then finally 'reach a truce' with each other in the form of a 'workable, negotiated, integrative compromise' that keeps both sides in the dialectical tussle 'workably happy'. A distinction might also be made in this regard between 'love (attraction, co-operation)' dialectics and 'war' (repulsion, competition, hate) dialectics.

The dynamics and evolution of dialectic philosophy was probably most clearly articulated by the philosopher who is also probably (or arguably at least) the philosopher who is most easily connected to the birth of its name -- G.W.Hegel. A strong, technical case could be made for the spirit and essence of the dialectic having arisen earlier out of the work of Kant (The Critique of Pure Reason) and Fichte who was strongly influenced by Kant. Also, Marx turned Hegel's 'rathional-idealistic' philosophy on its head and delivered stinging critiques of Capitalism -- to inspire, ignite, and/or instigate the growth of revolution, socialism, communism, and huge philo-socio-political-economic change in the Eastern world using dialectic philosophy as his main weapon of offense and defense.

However, the history and the birth of the dialectic goes back much further than even Kant, Fichte, Hegel, and Marx. It goes right back to the birth of philosophy -- in both the Western (predominantly Greek) and Eastern (primarily Chinese) world. I want to take a little time here to trace some of the beginnings and the foundations of dialectic philosophy in Pre-Socratic, Greek philosophy in particular, with a small bit of attention also being brought to similar development in the birth of Chinese philosophy. These evolutionary developments in both ancient Greece and China can still be seen, felt, and heard in current Western and Eastern philosophy (epistemology, metaphysic, ethics...), science, medicine, politics, law, and culture in general. So it is certainly worth taking a good look at some of these ancient philosophical developments as an ongoing source of inspiration, creativity, and philosophical evolution today.

If you go back to the first acknowledged and decently known Western (Greek) philosopher -- Thales (624BC-546BC) -- you will see that he was the first known 'philosopher' to stop looking for 'causes amongst the Gods' and to start looking for more 'natural, scientific causes' of what created the world and made it the way it was. Thales was a 'monist' -- a one-cause theorist -- who looked at the source of all life as stemming from 'water'.

If we pass the second oldest Western (Greek) philosopher -- Anaximander (610BC-546BC)for the moment and move to the man who is usually considered the third oldest Western (Greek) philosopher -- Anamimenes (585BC-525BC) -- we see that he too was a monist who took up a counter-position to Thales in arguing that the source of all life stemmed from 'air', not 'water'. Here we have the beginning of a clear, righteous, 'either/or' will-to-power dialectic. Neither of the two philosophers can be viewed as being a dialectic philosopher in his own right -- rather both were monists -- but the articulation of their differences set up the clear dynamics of a 'dialectic struggle for theoretical supremacy) -- no differently than the dialectic debate between Clinton and Obama in their struggle for Democratic Supremacy, or the dialectic debate between McCain and Romney in their struggle for Republican Supremacy (with the additional 'underdog' presence of Paul and Huckabee to make the latter debate a situation that we might label as a 'multi-dialectic debate').