1.26. DGBN (Dialectical Gap-Bridging-Negotiations) Philosophy:

Building Bridges Between Disconnected Points Of View With Small or Significant Gaps Between Them

This forum is designed to build philosophical bridges between separate philosophical ideas, opinions, perspectives, lifestyles, organizations, structures, and processes. For example, the forum aims to build a bridge between academic/historical philosophy and contemporary, pragmatic ‘street’ (home/family/work) philosophy. It aims to bridge the gap between the abstract and the concrete. Between philosophy and psychology. Between Hegel and Nietzsche. Between Anaximander and Hegel. Between religion and science. Between Enlightenment Philosophy and Romantic Philosophy. Between humanism and existentialism. Between conservatism and liberalism. Between capitalism and socialism. Between Freud and Femininism. Between Freud and Adler. Between Freud and Jung. Between Freud and Perls. Everywhere we go there is going to be a ‘dialectical face-off’ between philosophy A and philosophy B, and there is going to be an underlying assumption that there is a mixture of truth and distortion, value and disvalue, in both philosophy A and Philosophy B, and there is generally -- if not always -- creative value in aiming to reach an integrative, ‘homeostatic balance’ between whatever the two competing philosophies/philosophers/perspectives/ideologies/lifestyles are.

Thus, you can call Gap Dialectical Philosophy a post-Hegelian school, treatise, journal, and forum of philosophy. It is built on the Hegelian dialectical evolutionary theory of ‘thesis’, ‘anti-thesis’, and ‘synthesis’ -- and start over again at a different, hopefully better, level of dialectical negotiation. Thus also, we are trying for the most part to discourage most forms of righteous, narcissistic, , extremist, destructive ‘either/or’ philosophies, religions, organizations, etc. These types of philosophies usually generate ‘wars’ of any and every kind -- intra-psychic, inter-personal, civil, political, international…At a time when the emergence of Middle East War is becoming an escalating tragic reality -- not something 'out there' but something that is crossing the ocean and hitting 'back here' in a more and more shocking, personal manner, it is time once again that we preach and teach values of conflict negotiation that emphasize making creative conciliations, concessions, compromises that ideally aim for 'win-win' solutions but if not the best middle ground that we can find, allowing us to live in a harmonious, civil manner with each other -- not the opposite 'might is right' scenario that is putting more and more people -- young and old -- soldiers and civilians -- women and children -- into caskets (if there is time, the energy, and the resources to properly bury people).

However, this is not only a post-Hegelian school of philosophy but also a post-Anaxamanderian, post-Spinozian, post-Darwinian, post-Nietzschean, post-Kierkegaardian, post-Derridian, post-Freudian, post-Adlerian, post-Jungian, and post-Gestalt school as well. Call it a ‘Leap-Frog and Link’ school of philosophy, or Dialectical Gap-Bridging (DGB) Philosophy...these names all aim to describe the same basic idea -- linking opposing philosophies and lifestyles together into a more harmonious multi-integrative-dialectical homeostatic balance. Over and over again, I aim to describe a process of: 1. 'Philosophical Construction' (thesis); 2. Philosophical Deconstruction (anti or counter-thesis); and 3. Philosophical Reconstruction (modification, union, integration, synthesis, dialectical wholism and evolution...),

We are looking for creative, integrative conflict resolutions that bring people together in a spirit of ‘dialectical-democratic unity’, appreciating our unique individual differences and multiple different perspectives -- and in fact embracing these differences as a vital part of our human essence, heritage, and future.

As the great psychologist, Carl Jung, has written: “ ‘The greater the contrast, the greater is the potential. Great energy only comes from great tensions between opposites.’ In every case, the possibilities are contained within the opposites. What is required is their (creative, assertive, compassionate, democratic) interaction, so that the dialectic may be permitted to operate” (towards a successful ‘gap-bridging’ creative-integrative solution/resolution to the particular conflict). -- Joel Latner, The Gestalt Therapy Book, The Julian Press, 1973. (bracketed extensions mine).

In a world that seems to be rushing back towards the brink of nuclear war, and in a world where friends, family, and foes alike all tend to take righteous, narcissistic, extremist, ‘either/or’ stances against each other, it would seem that this type of philosophy of ‘tolerance and creative evolutionary harmony of differences’ cannot be expounded, promoted, and applied any time too soon. Please join me in this most important venture. Unmitigated death, grief, and misery is the consequence of rightous extremism and sticking to the goal -- with horse blinders on -- of aiming to force one's will on someone who is only going to fight back with equal rightousness, narcissism, extremism, hate, and violence (with those from younger generations continuing to e learning more of the same -- grief, hate, rage, violence, revenge..). 'It's a 'hard rain gonna fall' (Bob Dylan) until everone from every race, creed, nationality, and religion gets it through each of their thick respective heads that 'violence begets violence' -- until 'death conquers all'. Even 'victory breeds hatred for the conquered is unhappy.' -- Gautama Buddha. And a similar profound passage goes back to the beginning of Western -- as well as Middle Eastern -- Philosophy. Take a few minutes to properly digest this famous ancient Western philosophical fragment and you can interpret the essence of what has become a very well-known and popular modern saying --

'What goes around, comes around.'

Whence things have their origin,

Thence also their destruction happens,

According to necessity;

For they give to each other justice and recompense

For their injustice

In conformity with the ordinance of Time.

-- Anaximander (610-546 BC)

-- DGBN*, July 1st, 2006. dgbain@rogers

*David Gordon Bain

*Dialectical Gap-Bridging Negotiations

*Democracy Goes Beyond Narcissism