Structural analysis of the history of early Greek and early European philosophy

pp. 143-174

in: Klaus F. Riegel, Psychology of development and history, Berlin, Springer, 1976

Abstract

In this chapter history will be regarded as a dialogue. In a dialogue one person proposes a statement and another person reacts to it by either proposing an alternative or a modification of the first statement. If the second person disregarded the statement by the first person, no true dialogue would take place. After two alternate statements have been made, the first person may modify his original statement or propose a third one. In each case, he would try to consider the statement made by the second person and at the same time would have to remain consistent with his own earlier statements. If he were always to disregard the second person's statement, no true dialogue would take place.