Blackwell Reference Online

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since the mid-nineteenth century, numerous political theorists and activists have considered dialectical philosophy to be “the algebra of revolution.” The efforts on the part of social struggles to overcome external and internal barriers to liberation have led many thinkers and activists to view dialectics as the expression of the immanent rhythm and self-movement of revolution itself. Although the concept of “the dialectics of revolution” arose in association with modern political developments, “dialectics” has its origin in ancient Greek thought. The ancient Greeks viewed dialectics as the critical examination of an opinion through a process of mutual dialogue and questioning. They held that through the “dialectical” clash of contrasting views it became possible to discover a higher, transcendent truth. According to Aristotle (in sophist , a lost work quoted by ancient writers), the dialectical method was invented by Zeno of Elea and systematically developed by Plato in his socratic dialogues. Plato and Aristotle's view of dialectics as the method of proper reasoning and the way to grasp “the nature of things themselves” held great sway in the ancient and medieval world, impacting both the history of philosophy and the development of Christianity and Islam. In the European Middle Ages dialectics become equated with logic, and as one of the seven liberal arts it was a required ... log in or subscribe to read full text