Dialectic thought
In the formal operations stage, a new kind of thought develops based on logic and consistency. Jean Piaget’s influential theory of cognitive development proposed that children go through several unique stages, ultimately resulting in the formal operations stage. As people grow older, they tend to adopt a dialectical thinking style in which people seek to live with contradictions and accept that it is impossible to escape them.
Riegel, for example, proposed that development depended on conflicts that occur throughout life. Riegel and Michael Basseches both proposed influential frameworks for understanding the development of dialectical thinking. However, they may also be resolved by seeking synthesis of the two competing viewpoints-a dialectical style of solution.Ĭonsideration of dialectical thinking can be traced back to the philosophies of Georg Hegel and Karl Marx. Conflicts may be resolved by logically deciding in favor of one of the competing viewpoints-an analytic style of solution. As a person’s views on a topic, behavior, or experiences begin to conflict with one another, that person may become motivated to resolve the conflict. New ideas can be learned through experiences with the world or through interpersonal interaction. Throughout our lives, our views about how the world works change. Dialectical thought involves seeking a synthesis of two or more seemingly opposing viewpoints.