The Case for Dialectical Reasoning

I often ask myself why I have such a passion for language.

Why I'm so keen on helping people flesh out their understanding of language, formal logic and dialectical reasoning.

This past week I had some serious insight on the answer, and thought I should share; as it might help others in the quest for understanding and making sense of this world.

Language helps us express ourselves, connect, communicate meaning, our needs, and so much more.

As we evolved and our communication methods went from basic symbols to complex combinations of words, we learned different ways to utilize language.

In ancient times, folks like Plato, Socrates and Aristotle used language to elucidate truth: to make sense of the world, to come to mutual understandings around how things actually worked.

This method of communication was known as “dialectical reasoning”, and was all about using words to determine the true nature of reality, “what is”, etc.

While folks were walking around the streets of Athens waxing philosophic, making sense of what it meant to be good and why one should be just when the world seemed unjust, another method of communication arose.

And this is when there became a clear divide between how language was used.

You see, while some individuals were determined to make sense of the world and express themselves with words, other individuals looked at language as a tool to manipulate, to “make the lesser seem the greater”.

These folks were called Sophists, and they practiced the art of Rhetoric.

By utilizing a variety of sneaky tools (mostly logical fallacies, including appeals to emotion, character and bad logic in general), individuals could persuade folks of the wrong conclusion, perspective or decision regardless of the facts.

Rhetoric took off in ancient times, where entire schools were created and devoted to teaching individuals these slimy ways of communicating.

Seeing its ability to sway popular opinion and those not well-versed in formal logic/critical thinking, it found a foothold in the courts of Athens: Where these jesters would wield language like a weapon to win cases they would otherwise lose to discerning individuals.

And since its inception, the art of rhetoric never stopped.

In the modern world, it’s found its place in marketing, journalism and most realms of sales.

This is in part because of how effective it is against people who don’t know any better, and because there are plenty of ancient texts that still exist on the topic: which corporations refer to in order to craft their marketing strategy.

This is partially why I created MYA: To help people arm themselves against this type of linguistic manipulation.

To help develop individuals critical thinking and formal logic skills, to teach the art of dialectical reasoning, and provide the resources I’ve studied and documented over the last 20 years.

So folks could make informed decisions about themselves and the world around them.

Because I truly do believe that by using language not to manipulate or mislead, but to communicate truth and make sense of the world, that we can save ourselves and our planet.

It might not be as short-term profitable or as easy to make a killing off of those who don’t know any better, but if everyone's level of understanding was elevated, we would create a class of consumers and society who would demand better from their suppliers: which would in turn raise standards and produce considerably more value, both in the quality of our lives and the profitability of the system.

Harder, but much more worthwhile.

Like every other science out there, language can be viewed as a framework.

A framework is a system that helps define and understand the world around us.

Religion is also a framework. It frames reality in a certain way.

And just like mathematical formulas can define how celestial bodies move and can help us create a rocket ship to go to space safely, language can be used to accurately describe the natural world, or how we want individuals to view the world.

Language can be used to describe how things truly are, or can be utilized to create an artificial version of reality: Usually at the benefit of those who have constructed said reality and desire to maintain control and their lines of profit.

From this viewpoint, it is not only important but necessary to arm the common man with the tools to protect themselves from the predatory nature of those who wield language as a manipulative tool.

Lastly, language is not only used to define our reality, it can also be used to create solutions to any problem.

If you know how to ask the right questions. If your words align to the true nature of reality. If you have the correct definition of terms, if you understand how formal logic works and how to avoid bad thinking/logical fallacies.

In this way, Language is the primum movens, or “prime mover" as Aristotle said.

Seeing that everything around us originally began in the mind and was dictated by words first, this realm of language is what has truly created our world and our perception of the world.

It is the designer of the real, the crafter of the Matrix in which we live. It defines what is and what isn’t, it is what compels us to action and keeps us locked in place.

And in this way, it is the most important realm of study and understanding an individual can pursue and possess.

This is why I have dedicated my life to Dialectical reasoning, formal logic, critical thinking.

To try to save ourselves from ourselves.