Over the centuries, people have tried to explain the life processes and reduce the understanding of life to certain patterns. In philosophy, these attempts resulted in the formation of laws of dialectics, distinguished by their universality, constancy and universality.
What are the laws of dialectics?
In the understanding of philosophers, the law is a stable connection and a characteristic of the relationship between phenomena and processes. The laws of dialectics have such main features:
- Objectivity. Dialectical laws do not depend on the desires and actions of man.
- Materiality. Laws mark the very essence of an object or phenomenon.
- Repeatability. The law indicates only those phenomena and connections that are repeated systematically.
- The universality. The laws of dialectics in philosophy point to the regular connections characteristic of all cases of a particular type.
- Versatility. Laws describe different areas of reality: society, nature, thinking.
Who discovered the laws of dialectics?
The first developments in the field of dialectics date back to the time of the ancient states: China, India and Greece. The ancient dialectic was not structured and precise, but had in itself the beginnings of a modern understanding of the laws of the existence of the universe. Zenon Elea, Plato, Heraclitus and Aristotle are the first attempts to formulate the laws of dialectics.
The main contribution to the formation of dialectical thought was made by German philosophers. An important component of the works of German authors, including the three laws of Hegel's dialectic and the theory of Kant's knowledge, are Christian doctrines. The philosophy of that time relied on the medieval understanding of the world and considered the surrounding reality as an object of knowledge and activity.
3 of the law of dialectics
The development of each person and the whole society is subject to certain regularities, which are reflected in dialectical laws, universal and without limitations. They can be used in relation to any society, phenomenon, historical moment, kind of activity. The three laws of dialectics reflect the parameters of development and show how the further movement in the chosen direction will proceed.
There are such dialectical laws:
- The law of unity and struggle of opposites. At the heart of development may lie the opposite beginning, the struggle of which leads to the development of energy and is a stimulus for movement.
- The law of transition of quantitative changes to qualitative ones. Changes in quantity can lead to the appearance of new quality characteristics.
- The law of negation of negation. The law explains why development is spiraling, not horizontal.
The law of unity and struggle of opposites
The first dialectic law asserts that everything in the world moves through two opposite principles, which are in antagonistic relations with each other. These beginnings, although they are opposing, have the same nature. For example: day and night, cold and heat, darkness and light. The unity and struggle of opposites is an important component of the movement forward. Thanks to it, the world around us receives energy for existence and activity.
The struggle of antagonistic forces can be different. Sometimes it is beneficial to both parties and then acquires the form of cooperation. At the same time, one side can always be in loss. In another case, the opposing forces can fight until one of them is completely destroyed. There are other types of interaction of opposites, but the result is always the same: the development of energy for the development of the surrounding world.
The law of dialectics - the quantity goes into quality
The second law of dialectics emphasizes qualitative and quantitative characteristics. He says that all changes occur at a certain stage of accumulation of quantitative characteristics. Imperceptible quantitative accumulation results in sharp qualitative changes that lead to a new level of development. Qualitative and quantitative changes can be repeated several times, but at a certain point they go beyond the boundaries of existing phenomena or processes and lead to changes in the coordinate system itself.
The law of negation of negation
The law of denial of negation in philosophy is based on a time frame. Everything in the world exists only until it is new. Obsolete things, objects and phenomena are replaced by new ones, which leads to development and progress. Over time, new trends also become obsolete and replaced by more modern ones. This ensures continuous advancement and improvement. In this case, development is ensured by continuity and is spiraling.
4 the law of dialectics
The basic laws of dialectics are universal and are intended to explain the development of nature and the socio-economic formation. Three dialectical laws were formulated by philosophers in the Middle Ages and helped understand the nature of movement and development. Some philosophers and sociologists of our time believe that the existing principles and laws of dialectics do not fully reflect the picture of development. Although new laws are being advanced, most philosophers believe that the fourth rule is not a law of dialectics, since it intersects with the existing three laws.
The laws of dialectics include the following laws:
- The law of interrelation of quantitative, benign and malignant changes.
- The law of the transformation of quality into its opposite.
- The law of divine similarity.
The laws of dialectics are examples
Dialectical laws are universal and can be applied to various spheres. Let us cite examples of three dialectical laws from different spheres of life and nature:
- The law of unity and struggle of opposites. A striking example is sports competitions in which teams try to achieve high results, but are competitors.
- The law of transition of quantitative changes to qualitative ones. A large number of examples confirming this law can be found in the economic and political sphere. Small changes in the political structure of the country can eventually lead to a change in the social order.
- The law of negation of negation. The change of generations is an accurate and understandable example of this law. Each subsequent generation seeks to be more progressive, and this process never stops.