Hegel has criticized the law of contradiction and contraposed dialectic contradiction. However, he has finished his studies, only supposing dialectic contradiction. He has left an association between dialectic and the law of contradiction unsolved. It is Iwasaki Takeo who has made the association clear. He has proved in principle that dialectic as the logic of contradiction never come into existence. He has insisted that dialectic will come into effect on the premise of the law of contradiction:
In my opinion, dialectic of existence never be able to come into existence. In fact, a state called contradiction in dialectic of existence was nothing but an artificial contradiction. Therefore, dialectic as the logic of contradiction will never be formed as the logic of another kind which is completely different from the formal logic based on the law of contradiction. I will not insist that there are not contradictions from the view point of dialectic of existence, but I cannot help saying at least that it is an error to think that the special logic of dialectic is realized. Thus dialectic of existence is denied. It was in not a field of existence but a field of recognition that dialectic can be observed. Dialectic of recognition is no longer the logic of contradiction. It has changed into the logic of resolving contradiction. Dialectic will be observed in a process of development of recognition at any rate. The reason is that human recognition has finite characters, and must follow a process of trial and error.
Dialectic of existence means a way of thinking : Contradictions exist in existence itself, therefore we must abandon the law of contradiction to grasp existence. For example, a movement is caused by the contradiction that a thing is in this place and it is not at the same time, therefore we must throw away the law of contradiction when we think about movements.
It is from the following reason that this way of thinking is wrong:
1) The law of contradiction is a formal principle of reasoning; One cannot say of something that it is and that it is not in the same respect and at the same time. For example, in cases where we judge that movement consist of being and nothing and don't judge so at the same time, then the law of contradiction is denied. Real contradiction is exclusive relationship in the form of judgement. The law of contradiction is absolutely formal principle, it doesn't state concrete content of judgement about something.
2) When one states such substantial contradiction that movement consists of being and nothing, it is an artificial; superficial contradiction. Actually, there are not contradictions but existence of concrete fact of movement.
3)Nevertheless, the reason one believe the presence of contradiction is adherence to abstract prescriptions such as being and nothing from the beginning.
4) The artificial contradiction is divided into two categories. In cases where one ignore the condition of "in the same respect" of Aristotle's definition, where the structure of existence unified is expressed as contradiction, for example, "life through death." This will connect with topos dialectic of Nishida philosophy. In contrast, in cases where one ignore the condition of "at the same time," where the process of changing is considered to be contradiction and negation. This will link with process dialectic of Marxism.
Contradiction in dialectic of existence is artificial contradictions caused by a wrong application of the law of contradiction; the law of contradiction is a formal principle about reasoning, but the concrete content is encased in it; abstract stipulations are held from the beginning; the condition of in the same respect or that of at the same time is ignored. By these wrong applications, the state which is not contradiction is merely believed to be contradiction. Therefore, it is not necessary to throw away the law of contradiction when we think about movement and change. On the contrary, it is dialectic of existence that should be abandoned instead.
This is a foundation that dialectic as the logic of contradiction must be removed. No contradiction exist in field of existence, therefore dialectic of existence are never observed. However, there frequently exist contradictions in thoughts, therefore dialectic will be recognized in a field of recognition. "To declare that contradictions exist in existence is a suicide of thought . We must absolutely make an effort to grasp existence without contradiction." This is basic stance of Takeo Iwasaki. The effort to grasp existence without contradiction will form "dialectics of recognition." These words are quotations from Iwasaki Takeo:
Contradiction of thought is in a process toward a real thought without contradiction about objects. Therefore, a thinking process in which we face with contradiction, overcome them, and unify contradictory arguments to transfer higher-level standpoint can form a dialectic process. This dialectic of recognition is regarded as the logic of resolving contradiction. It is considered reasonable and proper.
We may express that the standpoint to construct a dialectic theory on the base of the law of contradiction is not Hegel's but Aristotle's view. Aristotle has considered dialectic to be a reasoning from the acknowledged idea;Endoxa. A new theory of dialectic should be tried to construct by returning to the standpoint of Aristotle.
Note
This is a translation of "
岩崎武雄の矛盾論(『弁証法試論』第４章新しい弁証法の基礎) ."
