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Unity of opposites

The unity of opposites is a foundational philosophical concept positing that reality is constituted by the interdependence and interconnectedness of contradictory elements, which coexist and transform into one another within a dynamic whole, rather than existing in isolation or pure conflict.^[1] This doctrine, first articulated by the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus around the 6th century BCE, emphasizes that opposites such as day and night, war and peace, or life and death are not merely antithetical but unified through processes of flux and balance, as exemplified in his fragments like "The road up and the road down are one and the same" (DK22B60) and "God is day and night, winter and summer, war and peace, satiety and hunger" (DK22B67).^[1] In Heraclitean thought, this unity underpins the cosmos's perpetual change, governed by the Logos—a rational principle ensuring that oppositions maintain equilibrium through mutual transformation, such as living becoming dead or waking becoming sleeping (DK22B88).^[1] The concept profoundly influenced later dialectical philosophies, particularly in the works of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, where it manifests as the driving force of conceptual development. In Hegel's dialectics, opposites emerge within a concept (e.g., pure Being passing into Nothing), leading to their resolution in a higher unity (e.g., Becoming), a process termed Aufhebung or sublation, which preserves and transcends the contradictions to advance toward absolute knowledge.^[2] This method rejects static categories, viewing reality as a progressive unfolding of contradictions that unify at progressively more comprehensive levels, as seen in his Science of Logic.^[2] Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels adapted Hegel's idealist dialectics into materialist terms, applying the unity of opposites to historical and social processes as the motor of change. In Marxist dialectics, contradictions within material conditions—such as the tension between productive forces and relations of production—generate societal development, where opposites like capital and labor are interdependent yet antagonistic, culminating in revolutionary transformations toward communism.^[3] This principle, one of the three laws of dialectics alongside the transformation of quantity into quality and the negation of the negation, underscores that all phenomena contain internal oppositions whose struggle propels motion and progress.^[3] Beyond Western philosophy, echoes of the unity of opposites appear in Eastern traditions, such as the Taoist concept of yin* and *yang, where complementary forces interpenetrate to form cosmic harmony, though these parallels are interpretive rather than direct derivations.^[1] Overall, the unity of opposites remains a cornerstone for understanding change, conflict, and holistic interconnection across metaphysics, ethics, and social theory.

Conceptual Foundations

Definition and Principles

The unity of opposites is a philosophical principle asserting that contradictory elements coexist interdependently, mutually defining and sustaining each other within a dynamic whole. This concept emphasizes that phenomena gain their identity through opposition, where apparent contradictions form an integral structure rather than isolated conflicts. For example, pairs such as hot and cold or day and night illustrate how one extreme delineates the boundary and essence of the other, preventing either from existing in isolation.^[4]^[5] Central to this principle is the idea that opposition is essential for existence itself, as entities emerge from the interplay of contraries rather than from uniformity. The tension generated between these opposites—such as in war and peace or life and death—propels change and transformation, maintaining a process of continuous adjustment. This dynamic equilibrium underscores an underlying harmony, where the opposites integrate into a cohesive system without necessitating their dissolution or dominance by one side.^[4]^[5] Unlike mere duality, which posits opposites as static, exclusive categories (e.g., a simple either/or binary), the unity of opposites highlights interconnectedness and transitional zones, allowing for overlap or middle states that enrich the whole. For instance, in a continuum like temperature, there exists a range where hot and cold blend, defying strict separation. The principle has roots in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly with Heraclitus.^[4]^[5]

Philosophical Implications

The unity of opposites carries profound metaphysical implications, portraying reality not as a fixed state of being but as an ongoing process of becoming, wherein opposing forces interpenetrate to constitute the dynamic fabric of existence. This view posits that change and transformation arise inherently from the tension between contraries, such as stability and flux, rendering the universe a continuum of emergent properties rather than isolated substances.^[3]^[6] Epistemologically, the recognition of unity in opposites fosters deeper wisdom by transcending binary thinking, encouraging insight into how apparent contradictions reveal underlying interconnections. Knowledge, in this framework, emerges from distinguishing entities through their oppositional relations, thereby challenging rigid dualisms like true/false or self/other and promoting a nuanced understanding of phenomena as interdependent.^[5]^[3] Ontologically, entities are defined relationally through opposition, implying that identity is contextual and balanced rather than absolute, with no isolated truths but instead provisional harmonies amid competing forces. This relational ontology underscores that beings exist as "missing links" in a complementary whole, where opposites mutually constitute each other without exclusion.^[5]^[7] The principle offers potential for resolving philosophical paradoxes, such as the one-many problem, by affirming unity within diversity and transforming apparent conflicts into sources of coherence, thereby influencing holistic worldviews that emphasize interconnected systems over fragmented analyses. This approach echoes in dialectical methods explored in modern philosophy.^[5]^[8]

Ancient Western Philosophy

Heraclitus

Heraclitus, a pre-Socratic philosopher active around 500 BCE in Ephesus (modern-day Turkey), is traditionally dated to c. 535–475 BCE and is regarded as the originator of the doctrine of the unity of opposites in Western philosophy.^[4]^[1] Born into an aristocratic family, he reportedly renounced a hereditary position of authority and critiqued democratic tendencies in his city, reflecting a preference for elite governance amid the cultural and political turbulence of Ionian Greece under Persian influence.^[4] His surviving work consists of approximately 100 cryptic fragments, preserved through quotations by later authors like Plato and Aristotle, which were likely part of a single book deposited in the temple of Artemis.^[1] Central to Heraclitus' thought are fragments that articulate the unity of opposites, emphasizing how contraries coexist and interdepend to form a coherent whole. For instance, in Fragment B60, he states: "The road up and the road down are one and the same," illustrating how the same path can embody opposing directions depending on perspective, underscoring the relativity and interconnectedness of apparent contradictions.^[4] Similarly, Fragment B67 declares: "God is day night, winter summer, war peace, satiety hunger," portraying the divine as an encompassing unity that alternates between extremes, much like fire mixed with spices changes flavor yet remains essentially the same.^[1] These examples highlight Heraclitus' view that opposites are not merely juxtaposed but are inherently linked, transforming into one another in a dynamic process.^[4] In his cosmology, Heraclitus applies this principle through the concepts of logos—a rational, structuring principle underlying reality—and fire as the fundamental arche (originating substance), symbolizing perpetual change and transformation. The cosmos is described as "everliving fire, kindling in measures and being quenched in measures" (Fragment B30), where fire cyclically exchanges with other elements like water and earth, maintaining a balanced equilibrium through oppositional fluxes.^[4] The logos governs this ordered interchange, ensuring that opposites unify under a single, timeless rational structure, as in Fragment B50: "Having harkened not to me but to the Word [logos], it is wise to say the same: one [thing] all."^[1] This framework posits the universe not as static but as a harmonious tension of contraries, with fire embodying the ceaseless becoming that unifies diversity.^[4] Heraclitus extends the unity of opposites to ethics, portraying strife (polemos) as essential to justice and cosmic order. In Fragment B80, he asserts: "War is common, strife is justice, and all things happen according to strife and necessity," suggesting that conflict generates and sustains unity by preventing any extreme from dominating, much like bow and lyre produce harmony through tension.^[1] This ethical dimension implies that opposition is not destructive but preservative, fostering balance in both nature and human affairs, where apparent discord reveals underlying justice.^[4] Interpreting Heraclitus presents challenges due to his deliberately obscure, oracular style, which employs puns, paradoxes, and dense imagery to provoke insight rather than straightforward exposition.^[1] The unity of opposites is often understood as the co-instantiation of contraries—existing simultaneously in tension—rather than their literal identity, though this has led to debates over whether his doctrine implies logical contradiction or merely perspectival relativity.^[4] Later philosophers like Plato grappled with these ambiguities, but Heraclitus' fragments resist systematic reduction, emphasizing experiential grasp of the logos over abstract analysis.^[1]

Influence in Classical Greek Thought

Plato engaged critically with Heraclitus' doctrine of the unity of opposites, particularly through the lens of flux, in his dialogue Theaetetus, where he portrays it as rendering knowledge impossible due to the perpetual instability of all things.^[9]^[10] In this work, Socrates examines the theory of perception as flux, attributing to Heracliteans the view that everything is in constant motion and alteration, which undermines stable definitions essential for epistemology.^[11] However, Plato partially adopts elements of oppositional dynamics in Timaeus, where the Demiurge imposes order on chaotic matter by balancing opposites like the same and the different in the cosmic creation, forming the world's harmonic structure.^[12]^[13] Aristotle, in Metaphysics, responds to Heraclitus by reframing opposites not as fully unified but as involving privation, where one contrary (form) actualizes the potential of its opposite (matter), rejecting the radical coincidence of contraries that leads to contradiction.^[14] He critiques Heraclitus' flux as excessive change without stability, yet incorporates an oppositional dynamic through potentiality and actuality, which mediates becoming between permanence and transformation, thus bridging Heraclitean strife with Parmenidean being.^[4]^[15] Heraclitus' ideas influenced the Sophists' relativism, as seen in Protagoras' doctrine that "man is the measure of all things," which echoes the flux and perspectival unity of opposites by emphasizing subjective perception amid constant change.^[16]^[17] This contributed to early dialectical practices, where arguments from opposing viewpoints highlighted the instability of absolute truths. The unity of opposites prefigures tensions in the Socratic method, as Socrates' elenchus exploits contradictions in interlocutors' beliefs to reveal underlying flux-like inconsistencies, fostering a dialectical tension akin to Heraclitean strife.^[18]

Medieval Western Philosophy

Coincidentia oppositorum

Nicholas of Cusa (1401–1464), born Nikolaus Krebs in the German town of Kues, was a prominent ecclesiastical reformer, cardinal, and polymath whose intellectual pursuits bridged medieval scholasticism and Renaissance humanism. Educated in liberal arts at the University of Heidelberg and canon law at the University of Padua, where he earned his doctorate in 1423, Cusa engaged with leading humanists such as Guarino da Verona, integrating classical learning with Christian theology. As a key figure in the papal curia and bishop of Brixen from 1450, he advocated for church reform and intellectual freedom, influencing the transition to Renaissance thought through his synthesis of Neoplatonism, mathematics, and mysticism.^[19] Cusa's seminal work, De Docta Ignorantia (On Learned Ignorance, 1440), articulates the doctrine of coincidentia oppositorum (coincidence of opposites) as a metaphysical principle central to understanding the divine. In this framework, opposites such as maximum and minimum, or infinity and finitude, coincide without contradiction in God, the absolute Maximum, where all distinctions dissolve into unity. Human knowledge, by contrast, operates through approximation and "learned ignorance" (docta ignorantia), acknowledging the impossibility of precise comprehension of the infinite due to the lack of proportion between finite intellect and divine essence. This approach posits that true wisdom arises from recognizing one's ignorance, enabling a speculative ascent toward the divine rather than definitive claims.^[19]^[20] To illustrate coincidentia oppositorum, Cusa employed mathematical analogies drawn from geometry, emphasizing how finite forms hint at infinite unity. For instance, he described the coincidence of a point and a circle: as a circle's radius expands infinitely, its circumference becomes indistinguishable from a straight line, uniting the curved and the linear in the infinite. Similarly, an infinite line embodies the properties of a circle, triangle, or sphere, demonstrating how opposites merge beyond finite measurement. These analogies underscore the inadequacy of Aristotelian logic, which relies on the principle of non-contradiction, and instead invite a transcendence of such binaries through symbolic reasoning.^[19]^[21] Theologically, Cusa applied coincidentia oppositorum to reconcile faith and reason, positioning Christ as the mediator who embodies the union of infinite God and finite humanity. By transcending Aristotelian categories, this doctrine resolves apparent paradoxes in theology, such as the compatibility of divine simplicity and the Trinity, fostering a harmonious integration of rational inquiry and mystical contemplation. In God, all opposites achieve perfect coincidence, rendering the divine enfolding (complicatio) of creation while remaining enfolded within it (explicatio).^[19]

Mystical and Scholastic Parallels

In medieval mysticism, Meister Eckhart (c. 1260–1328) articulated a profound unity between God and the soul that transcends binary opposites such as being and non-being. In his sermons, Eckhart describes the soul's breakthrough into the divine ground, where distinctions dissolve into an undifferentiated oneness, emphasizing that God is "a being transcending being" and inviting the soul to participate in this non-dual reality beyond all oppositions. This experiential union, achieved through detachment (Gelassenheit), resolves the paradox of divine transcendence and immanence by negating creaturely categories altogether. Echoing earlier traditions, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (late 5th to early 6th century) developed apophatic theology, or the via negativa, as a method to approach the divine by denying affirmative predicates while integrating them into a higher unity. In works like The Divine Names and The Mystical Theology, Dionysius posits that God surpasses all opposites—affirmations and negations alike—uniting them in a superessential darkness where positive and negative theologies converge to affirm divine simplicity.^[22] This approach influenced medieval mystics by providing a theological framework for contemplating the ineffable, where opposites like light and darkness or unity and multiplicity are reconciled in God's incomprehensible essence.^[22] Scholastic thinkers, while more rationalistic, incorporated analogous concepts without fully embracing mystical coincidence. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) employed the analogy of being (analogia entis) to bridge the gap between divine and human realities, positing that creatures participate in God's infinite being through a proportional similarity that mitigates stark oppositions between creator and creation.^[23] In the Summa Theologica, Aquinas explains this participation as finite essences sharing in the divine act of existence (esse), thus harmonizing the infinite-divine and finite-human without collapsing them into identity.^[23] Similarly, Islamic philosophers like Avicenna (Ibn Sina, 980–1037) addressed tensions between essence and existence, arguing that in contingent beings, existence is an accidental addition to essence, but in God (the Necessary Existent), they coincide inseparably, resolving the paradox through emanation from the divine unity.^[24] Averroes (Ibn Rushd, 1126–1198) critiqued and refined this, emphasizing a metaphysical harmony where potentiality and actuality unite in the eternal cosmic order.^[25] These parallels played a crucial role in the medieval worldview, balancing the paradoxes of faith—such as divine omnipotence versus human free will, or eternity versus temporality—against rational oppositions derived from Aristotelian logic. Mystical and scholastic approaches together fostered a contemplative synthesis, enabling theologians to navigate faith's mysteries without succumbing to either fideism or pure rationalism, as seen in the integration of Dionysian apophasis into Latin scholasticism. This framework underscored a holistic cosmos where oppositional tensions ultimately pointed to an underlying divine coherence.

Modern Western Philosophy

German Idealism

German Idealism revived and transformed the concept of the unity of opposites in the early 19th century, building on Immanuel Kant's critical philosophy, particularly his antinomies of pure reason, which highlighted irresolvable contradictions in metaphysical claims about the world, such as the conflict between freedom and necessity or the finite and infinite.^[26] Thinkers like Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel sought to resolve these tensions not by rejecting reason's dialectical drive but by positing an underlying unity where opposites are reconciled through dynamic processes within the absolute.^[27] This approach marked a shift from Kant's transcendental idealism, which limited knowledge to phenomena while leaving noumena unknowable, toward absolute idealism, where reality itself unfolds through the mediation of contradictions.^[2] Fichte (1762–1814) laid crucial groundwork with his doctrine of the self-positing ego in the Wissenschaftslehre (1794/1795), where the absolute I posits itself as both subject and object, encountering opposition in the form of the non-I (Not-I), which limits the ego's infinite activity.^[28] This thesis of self-positing generates an antithesis—the check or limitation imposed by the non-I—prefiguring the unity of opposites as a necessary internal relation, without which the ego could not achieve self-consciousness or ethical freedom.^[28] Fichte's system thus anticipates dialectical opposition as essential to the ego's development, resolving the Kantian divide between theoretical and practical reason in the ego's productive activity.^[27] Schelling (1775–1854) advanced this into his identity philosophy during the early 1800s, positing that nature and spirit are not opposed substances but unified in an absolute indifference point, where subject and object emerge as polarities from a single, indifferent ground.^[29] In works like System of Transcendental Idealism (1800) and Presentation of My System of Philosophy (1801), he described this unity as the "absolute identity" of the real (nature) and the ideal (spirit), with opposites like productivity and form dynamically interpenetrating to form the whole of reality.^[29] This indifference is not a mere negation of difference but the potentia or unconscious basis from which conscious spirit arises, resolving Fichte's subjectivism by elevating nature to an equal partner in the absolute.^[29] Hegel's synthesis (1770–1831) culminated in a comprehensive dialectical method, outlined in Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), where the unity of opposites drives the historical and logical unfolding of the Absolute Spirit through a dialectical process of negation leading to sublation (Aufhebung).^[2] Contradiction serves as the internal mechanism propelling development, as each moment contains its own negation, leading to sublation (Aufhebung), which preserves and elevates the opposites into a higher unity without abolishing their tension.^[2] For Hegel, this process manifests in the Absolute as the reconciliation of all oppositions—such as being and nothing, or finite and infinite—culminating in self-knowing spirit, directly addressing Kant's antinomies by demonstrating their resolution within reason's immanent movement.^[2]

Dialectical Materialism

Dialectical materialism, the philosophical foundation of Marxism developed by Karl Marx (1818–1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820–1895), posits the unity of opposites as the primary law of dialectics, manifesting as the interpenetration or mutual struggle of contradictory forces that propel change in nature, society, and thought.^[30] In Anti-Dühring (1878), Engels explicitly formulates this as one of three fundamental dialectical laws—the law of the interpenetration of opposites—emphasizing that all processes involve inherent contradictions where opposites both unite and conflict, driving development forward.^[31] Marx applies this principle extensively in Capital (1867), analyzing commodities as unities of use-value and exchange-value, where these opposites generate the contradictions of capitalist production, such as the tension between social production and private appropriation. This law inverts Hegel's idealist dialectic into a materialist one, viewing contradictions not as logical movements of the absolute spirit but as objective features of material reality. In historical materialism, the unity and struggle of opposites finds its most concrete expression in class antagonism, which Marx and Engels identify as the engine of social transformation. The bourgeoisie and proletariat form a dialectical unity, interdependent yet antagonistic, with the former exploiting the latter's labor to accumulate capital while sowing the seeds of its own overthrow through intensifying contradictions like overproduction crises and falling profit rates. This struggle propels history toward communism, where the resolution of class opposites abolishes exploitation, leading to a classless society based on collective ownership. Engels reinforces this in Anti-Dühring, arguing that such socio-economic contradictions mirror dialectical processes in nature, ensuring that historical progress is not arbitrary but governed by material laws.^[32] Extending the principle beyond society, Engels applies the unity of opposites to natural science in Dialectics of Nature (written 1873–1883, published 1925), portraying motion as the essential mode of matter's existence through the unity of attraction and repulsion. For instance, he describes chemical reactions and biological evolution as driven by opposing forces that interpenetrate, producing qualitative leaps, such as the transformation from inorganic to organic matter. This materialist extension underscores that contradictions are not imposed by human consciousness but are inherent in the objective world, critiquing idealist views that subordinate nature to subjective spirit. Later Marxist thinkers, such as Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924), further developed this law in analyzing capitalism's evolution. In Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (1917), Lenin elucidates the unity of opposites in imperialism as the coexistence and conflict between monopolies and competition, where concentrated capital suppresses free markets yet fosters anarchic rivalry, accelerating capitalism's decay and the revolutionary potential of the proletariat. This application highlights how the law operates in concrete socio-economic formations, revealing contradictions as the source of systemic crises rather than mere ideological constructs.

Eastern Parallels

Taoism and Yin-Yang

In Taoism, the concept of the unity of opposites is central to the philosophy articulated by Laozi, traditionally dated to the 6th century BCE, in the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing), a foundational text comprising 81 short chapters. The Tao, or "Way," is portrayed as the transcendent source that encompasses and reconciles all dualities, emerging from the interplay of being and nonbeing. For instance, Chapter 2 states: "When all under heaven know beauty as beauty, there arises the recognition of ugliness. When all know the good, this shows there is evil," illustrating how opposites define and produce each other within the Tao's harmonious framework.^[33] The Yin-Yang cosmology further embodies this unity, depicting Yin and Yang as interdependent cosmic forces in perpetual balance and transformation. Yin represents passive, feminine, dark, and receptive qualities, such as the earth's north-facing slopes or stillness, while Yang signifies active, masculine, light, and creative aspects, like the sun's brightness or motion. These forces are not antagonistic but complementary, mutually generating each other and the myriad phenomena of the universe, including the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) through their dynamic cycles of waxing and waning.^[34] Philosophically, this unity informs the principle of wu wei (non-action or effortless action), which advocates aligning with the natural flow of opposites to achieve harmony rather than imposing artificial distinctions or conflicts. Opposites are seen as relative and interconnected, fostering a worldview where tension resolves into equilibrium, as the Tao itself arises from the unity of Yin and Yang.^[33]^[34] This cosmological framework developed in ancient China during the late Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–256 BCE), particularly amid the Warring States period's social upheaval (480–221 BCE), providing a model for order amid chaos. It profoundly influenced Confucianism, where Yin-Yang principles underpin rituals for social balance, and traditional Chinese medicine, which applies them to diagnose and treat imbalances in bodily energies, such as classifying yin organs (heart, liver) and yang organs (gallbladder, stomach).^[34] The Taijitu diagram symbolizes this dynamic unity, featuring a circle divided by an S-shaped curve into black (Yin) and white (Yang) halves, each containing a dot of the opposite color to signify potential transformation and interdependence. Originating from earlier cosmological diagrams and formalized in the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE), it visually captures Taoism's emphasis on the eternal interplay of opposites as the essence of the cosmos.^[34]

Other Eastern Traditions

In Buddhism, the concept of unity of opposites finds profound expression in Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka school, founded around the 2nd century CE, which posits emptiness (śūnyatā) as the unifying ground of all phenomena. Emptiness denotes the lack of inherent essence (svabhāva) in all things, arising through dependent origination, thereby reconciling apparent dualities such as existence and non-existence. This is exemplified in the unity of saṃsāra (the cycle of rebirth) and nirvāṇa (liberation), where no fundamental difference exists between them due to their shared emptiness: "There is, on the part of saṃsāra, no difference at all from nirvāṇa" (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā 25.19). Nāgārjuna employs the tetralemma—a fourfold logical negation (is, is not, both, neither)—to deconstruct extremes, as in denying the origins of phenomena from self, other, both, or neither, thus revealing the middle way beyond oppositional thesis and antithesis (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā 1.1).^[35] In Hinduism, Advaita Vedānta, systematized by Ādi Śaṅkara in the 8th century CE, articulates unity of opposites through the non-dual reality of Brahman, the ultimate essence transcending subject-object distinctions. Brahman is pure consciousness, the sole true existence, where all apparent dualities dissolve into oneness: "Brahman is alone True, and this world of plurality is an error; the individual self is not different from Brahman." The illusory power of māyā generates perceived oppositions, such as the manifold world versus unified reality, but these are ultimately unreal, resolving in Brahman's non-dual nature where the individual self (jīva) and universal self (Ātman) are identical. Māyā thus appears real in experience yet lacks ultimate existence, bridging the gap between illusion and truth.^[36] Other traditions illustrate this unity through balanced dynamics. In the ancient Chinese I Ching, hexagrams composed of yin and yang lines embody the interplay of opposites, such as opposition (Hexagram 38) resolving into harmony through mutual complementarity, where fire above lake symbolizes divergence leading to unity. In Jainism, anekāntavāda (many-sidedness) addresses relativism by affirming reality's multifaceted nature, integrating opposites like permanence (in substance) and change (in modes) via seven predications (e.g., exists, does not exist, inexpressible), promoting non-absolutist perspectives that unify conflicting views.^[37]^[38] Across these Indian traditions (Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism), cyclical conceptions of time and karma ethically integrate opposites by linking actions to rebirth, where good and bad deeds balance within endless cycles (saṃsāra), fostering moral equilibrium toward liberation in Buddhism, mokṣa in Hinduism, and kevala in Jainism. This framework unifies ethical dualities, as karma's causal law ensures opposites like suffering and bliss interdependently shape future states. Madhyamaka's emptiness influenced later Mahāyāna developments, notably Zen Buddhism, where śūnyatā informs non-dual awareness practices, extending to modern interpretations in comparative philosophy that highlight its relevance for resolving contemporary dualisms like self and other.^[37]^[35]

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Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel radicalized this view, transforming Kant's transcendental idealism into absolute idealism, which holds that things in themselves ...
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Johann Gottlieb Fichte - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Aug 30, 2001 · Instead, according to Fichte's analysis, if the I is to posit itself at all, it must simply discover itself to be limited, a discovery that ...Missing: thesis antithesis
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Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling
Oct 22, 2001 · Schelling has often been understood as providing the transitional 'objective idealist' link between Fichte and Hegel. By regarding Hegel's ...2. Transcendental Philosophy... · 3. Identity Philosophy · 5. Positive And Negative...
[30]
1877: Anti-Duhring
Engels discusses the laws of dialectics, including the unity and conflict of opposites, in **Part I: Philosophy**, specifically in **Chapter 12: Quantity and Quality** and **Chapter 13: Negation of the Negation**.
[31]
1877: Anti-Duhring - XI. Freedom and Necessity
### Summary of Engels Listing the Three Laws of Dialectics
[32]
1877: Anti-Duhring - Socialism, Theoretical - Marxists Internet Archive
The capitalist relation is not done away with. It is rather brought to a head. But, brought to a head, it topples over. State ownership of the productive forces ...Missing: primary | Show results with:primary
[33]
Laozi - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Dec 15, 2001 · Philosophical Daoism traces its origins to Laozi, an extraordinary thinker who flourished during the sixth century BCE, according to Chinese sources.The Laozi Story · Textual Traditions · Approaches to the Laozi · Dao and Virtue
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Yinyang (Yin-yang) | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Yinyang is a dominant concept in Chinese philosophy, representing the coherent fabric of nature and mind, and the interaction of cosmic and human realms.Origins of the Terms Yin and... · The Yinyang School · Yinyang as Qi (Vital Energy)
[35]
Madhyamaka Buddhist Philosophy
Madhyamaka refers to the Indian Buddhist school of thought that develops in the form of commentaries on the works of Nāgārjuna, who flourished around 150 CE.
[36]
Advaita Vedanta - Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Śaṅkara uses adhyāsa to indicate illusion – illusory objects of perception as well as illusory perception. Two other words which are used to denote the same are ...Missing: opposition opposites<|control11|><|separator|>
[37]
Jaina Philosophy
Feb 13, 2023 · This is the famous doctrine of the many-sidedness of things (anekāntavāda). ... Anekāntavāda as a Jain Response to Doctrinal Difference”, Ph.D.
[38]
I Ching Wilhelm Translation
This hexagram denotes a time in nature when heaven seems to be on earth. Heaven has placed itself beneath the earth, and so their powers unite in deep harmony.