Dialectical Thinking Intensive
8 Sessions - 16 hours Teleseries
HAVE YOU EVERY EXPERIENCED THE EXPERIENCE OF YOUR THINKING? If not, this practical intensive is for you! In a world as bombarded with “facts” and “ideas” as ours, to be aware of the structure of your thinking is one of the crucial elements of your well-being and success. Such awareness is not easy to come by because we are typically over-focused on the contents of our thinking, both emotionally and intellectually. Due to this human condition, we need to make an extra effort to get at the root of our own thinking. This root is dialectical!
The pragmatic 8 session = 16 hr. Dialectical Thinking Intensive offered by IDM enables you to start reflecting on the way you presently construct the world for yourself and to learn new ways of “thinking about” the world you are part of. To accomplish this, we follow Otto Laske’s MANUAL OF DIALECTICAL THOUGHT FORMS which is part of his Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems (IDM Press, 2009). Our purpose is to practice, hands-on, a repertory of dialectical thought forms that can be used as novel conceptualization tools as well as mind openers for those we communicate with. These tools also set us free to experience our own thinking beyond logical constraints.
The IDM Dialectical Thinking Intensive is based on a decade of experience in teaching cognitive interviewing for the purpose of giving individuals feedback on their present phase of cognitive development. In contrast to this assessment endeavor, in the Intensive the focus lies on solving practical problems through logically untrammeled “pre-suppositionless” thinking. Participants learn to examine the way in which they cognitively construct their world. They learn to understand in what way their problem formulations are an integral part of the problems they are trying to “solve”, regardless of whether the problems they focus on are those of a coach, consultant, manager, leadership developer, or psychotherapist (to give some examples).
The intensive follows an action-learning methodology. For each session, a particular class of thought forms to be learned is selected as focus of attention.
After a short introduction to dialectical thinking and Laske’s Manual of Dialectical Thought Forms, participants split into three parties:
- the action learning coach (instructor and moderator)
- a client (volunteer in focus of attention)
- a group of helpers (action learning team).
The client presents a problem s(he) is experiencing. S(he) is drawn out in conversation by the coach who is a dialectical thinker. Through discernment of the thought forms used by the client, the coach furthers the client’s understanding of self and the world, assisted by questions asked by the action learning team.
The 8 sessions follow each other as shown below:
Session 1: Introduction to dialectical thinking
Session 2: Introduction to four classes of thought forms
Session 3: Practicing Context thought forms
Session 4: Practicing Process thought forms
Session 5: Practicing Relationship thought forms
Session 6: Coordinating thought forms learned through transformational thought forms
Session 7: Bringing all four classes of thought forms together
Session 8: Review and wrap-up.
Each session is a lesson in making optimal sense of a conflicted and paradoxical world. In sessions 3-7, participants act as problem presenters whose way of framing problems is investigated by all participants. By way of challenge questions, the “client” (volunteer) learns different ways of “seeing” and “framing” the problem s(he) has brought to the group.
The Dialectical Thinking Intensive will be restricted to 8 participants maximally, and 5 participants minimally, to achieve the best possible dialectical action learning experience.
Benefits
The intensive teaches a set of conversational tools and social deliberative skills deriving from the tradition of dialectical thinking from Plato and Hegel to Adorno, Bhaskar, and Houlgate. These tools, referred to as mind openers, permit new ways of thinking that are untrammeled by habitual assumptions, ideological pre-dispositions, entrenched world views, and restriction of thinking to binary logic. They make possible interpretations of facts and ideas presently beyond participants’ reach.
By attending the Intensive, participants will become able to:
- Improve their ability to free themselves of habitual ways of thinking
- Practice social deliberative skills independent of beliefs and values
- Effectively help others see solutions rather than limitations
- Improve self awareness and attitude towards consultancy/coaching interactions
- Rethink the ways in which they presently construct a model of the world
- Liberate themselves from schemata absorbed through prior education.
Who Should Attend
Consultants, coaches, mentors, trainers, teachers, executives in the areas of human development, developmental psychologists, integral thinkers, politicians, from any part of the world.
The teaching is presented in English in a format of tele-sessions where every participant is invited to actively participate and interact with each other with supervision by the instructor.
Tuition Costs
Tuition payment covers instruction as well as study materials:
- Introduction to Volume 2 of Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems ( IDM Press, 2009)
- Laske article #1: 'The rebounding of dialectical knowledge in turbulent times"
- Laske article #2: "Meaning and truth in the integral quadrants" (presentation at the 2010 Integral Theory Conference)
- Laske article #3: "On the autonomy and influence of the cognitive line: Reflections on adult cognitive development peaking in dialectical thinking"
Course Materials
The course text consists of the Dialectical Thought Manual included in Volume 2 of Measuring Hidden Dimensions (IDM Press, 2009). This text is available from IDM Press in several different forms, any of which is suitable for study purposes (see Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems (MHD Volume 2).:
- The e-book version of the Dialectical Thought Form Manual
- The e-book version of volume 2 as a whole (with additional chapters needed for understanding the function and use of dialectical thought forms in process consultation)
- The print-version of volume 2 as a whole.
Participants are strongly encouraged to acquire as additional material Stephen Houlgate’s The opening of Hegel’s logic, Purdue University Press 2006.
Upon registration, participants receive study materials and a link for accessing a recording of each session. They are invited to join IDMSpace, a chat room for discussion and exchange of homework.
Payments are accepted in form of check, money order or major credit card using our secure online system.
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