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Article 1728 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: yodaiken@chelm.cs.umass.edu (victor yodaiken)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Is dialectical thought an "informal logic"?
Message-ID: <39953@dime.cs.umass.edu>
Date: 28 Nov 91 19:46:36 GMT
References: <439@trwacs.UUCP> <Z1u3BB1w164w@depsych.Gwinnett.COM>
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In article <Z1u3BB1w164w@depsych.Gwinnett.COM> rc@depsych.Gwinnett.COM (Richard Carlson) writes:
>erwin@trwacs.UUCP (Harry Erwin) writes:
>
>> In my experience, dialectical thought is a non-mathematical approach to
>> non-linear systems theory. Most of the rules can be reformulated in
>> topological terms.
>
>You are probably right.  On pp 665-666 of _Goedel, Escher, Bach_
>Hofstadter describes an experience in which there was a "fusion"
>[my quotes] or "symbolic recombination" [his quotes] in his mind
>which put together two opposing ideas.  He describes the
>subjective experience in some detail.  On p 667 he talks about
>ideas mapping onto each other, which sounds topological and makes
>some sense.  In fact this might be the first experiential account
>of "synthesis" or "sublation" with an attempt to adumbrate some
>possible ways in which it might be formalized.

For an equally nonsensical treatment of the topic, try "On Contradiction"
by the late, and barely lamented, Chairman Mao. 





