Merle and Victoria, On the strength of your comments, I have exiled the word "debate" from my vocabulary and wont use it again.
I have loved the concept of "dialectic" for some time, meaning an transformative interaction in which the two positions come to form something unanticpated by either. That's why tennis matches and chess games are so wonderful. The players may be hoping for a quick win, but we the spectators are spellbound by what they produce together. But "to dialect" is a crummy verb, so I am for dialogue, all the way. Thanks to you both, N Nicholas S. Thompson Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology, Clark University ([email protected]) http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/ > [Original Message] > From: Victoria Hughes <[email protected]> > To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <[email protected]> > Date: 7/6/2009 6:16:43 PM > Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Debategraph home > > Thank you Merle. > Your point about the old form of problem-solving, usually predicated > on a win-lose assumption; and the new form - on a win-win - brings up > something that seems important to discuss here at the Complex; > identity as exhibited through attitude and action. > How do we want to exchange information and ideas? > We so often talk about, and often act, from new ways of doing things. > 'Dialogue' is perhaps more useful, both as ultimately more viable > and effective, and as an attitude we want to identify with. > This issue also slides toward the metaphoric concept of emergence: a > number of diverse elements from whose actions together something > altogether new emerges. That's what we sure have, a number of diverse > elements, like it or not. Classic 'debating', from what I have seen > in various academic arenas, tends to lean toward wit and arrogance, > rather than an actual conversation. Not actions together with others, > actions against others. Posturing, rather than a substantive exchange > of ideas. > We are all about substantive idea exchange, far as I can see. > > I do appreciate that Tom is out there looking for solutions, though. > What else you got, Tom? > > Tory > > On Jul 6, 2009, at 1:08 PM, Merle Lefkoff wrote: > > > Tom, > > > > The derivation of the word "debate" is the Latin word > > "battere" (pound, beat, hit). The derivation of the word "dialogue" > > is from the Greek "dialogos." "Dia" can mean "through", and "logos" > > is "the word." The point here is that debate is an old form of > > working through problems (although still with us like a vestigial > > tail) and ratchets up confrontation to a win-lose dance. Dialogue > > seeks to open space for creative, non-bifurcated thinking, that > > leads to better outcomes on contentious issues. I'd hate to see > > debate as a process reinforced on the Internet. > > > > Merle > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Tom Johnson wrote: > >> An interesting too that "might" assist some of our discussion. > >> > >> http://debategraph.org/ > >> > >> -tj > >> > >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >> > >> ============================================================ > >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > >> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > >> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > > > > > ============================================================ > > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
