Two Contemporry Examples of Dialectic

Never argue. In society nothing must be discussed; give only results. If a person differs from you, bow and turn the conversation. In society never think; always be on the watch, or you will miss many opportunities and say many disagreeable things. A Psychological Romance, Benjamin Disraeli.

The most accurate example of dialectic I can think of from contemporary art is a scene in Pulp Fiction (1994). Because the conversation includes sexual language, I'm not going to link to it, but if you are interested and in a suitable place to listen to such things, go to YouTube and search for Pulp Fiction "foot massage". You should find it.

Here is the text, expurgated:

JULES: He gave her a foot massage.

VINCENT: A foot massage?

JULES: nods his head: "Yes."

VINCENT: That's all?

JULES: nods his head: "Yes."

VINCENT: What did Marsellus do?

JULES: Sent a couple of guys over to his place. They took him out on the patio of his apartment, threw [him] over the balcony. ....

The elevator doors open, Jules and Vincent exit.

VINCENT: That's a damn shame. 7.INT. APARTMENT BUILDING HALLWAY - MORNING STEADICAM in front of Jules and Vincent as they make a beeline down the hall.

VINCENT: Still I hafta say, play with matches, ya get burned.

JULES: Whaddya mean?

VINCENT: You don't be givin' Marsellus Wallace's new bride a foot massage.

JULES: You don't think he overreacted?

VINCENT: Antwan probably didn't expect Marsellus to react like he did, but he had to expect a reaction.

JULES: It was a foot massage, a foot massage is nothing, I give my mother a foot massage.

VINCENT: It's laying hands on Marsellus Wallace's new wife in a familiar way. Is it as bad as *****? -- no, but you're in the same ***** ballpark. Jules stops Vincent.

JULES: Whoa...whoa...whoa...stop right there. *****, and givin' a ***** foot massage ain't even the same ****** thing.

VINCENT: Not the same thing, the same ballpark.

JULES: It ain't no ballpark either. Look maybe your method of massage differs from mine, but touchin' his lady's feet, and *******, ain't the same ballpark, ain't the same league, ain't even the same ****** sport. Foot massages don't mean ****.

VINCENT: Have you ever given a foot massage?

JULES: Don't be tellin' me about foot massages -- I'm the ****** foot master.

VINCENT: Given a lot of 'em?

JULES: **** yeah. I got my technique down man, I don't tickle or nothin'.

VINCENT: Have you ever given a guy a foot massage? Jules looks at him a long moment -- he's been set up.

JULES: F*** you. He starts walking down the hall. Vincent, smiling, walks a little bit behind.

VINCENT: How many?

JULES: F*** you.

VINCENT: Would you give me a foot massage -- I'm kinda tired.

JULES: Man, you best back off, I'm gittin' pissed -- this is the door.

That is the best example of a dialectical conversation I can find in contemporary art. It's right on the money. There must be others, of course. Let me know if you have any. (There's an absurd variation in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead--see bottom of this screen)

At the risk of belaboring the point:

Premise: a foot massage is not a sex act,

Proof (by example): I give my mother a foot massage.

Proffered redefinition and implicit evaluation of premise: It's laying hands on Marsellus Wallace's new wife in a familiar way. ["familiarity" being on the way to sex; if Jules accepts this definition, he's on his way to losing, and he must sense that, or at least he won't accept it]

Counter-statement: they are not the same thing

Refinement: not the same, but similar

Refusal (using amplifaction): not the same, not similar, not even related

Proof (indirect): Would you give a man a foot massage?

When the argument is set out this way, you can clearly see the logic but you can't see the way Vincent hides the point he's going to make. Hiding the point (indirection), however, is an important part of the power (and in this case the fun) of dialectic because it creates an epiphany. Jules is forced to see for himself that his opinion about foot massage is contradictory. The last part of the scene, when Vincent rubs Jules's nose in it, is not necessarily emblematic of dialectic, but it is certainly typical of certain kinds of competitive (male?) relationships. And it's not hard to imagine that dialectic has often been a horsy sort of game.

Aristotle says dialectic is good exercise for the mind, a good way to discover first principles (agreed upon statements on which to build a body of knowledge), and a sophisticated way to pass the time (Topica, somewhere, I think). In the last book of Topica he does offer some ideas about how to hide your intentions, which does suggest some manipulative intent.

The basic techniques are: collection, division, analogy, definition (properties, attributes, accidents, essence), evaluation

E.G.

Money | Love

  1. what is love (differentiate among kinds)
  2. what is money (differentiate among kinds)
  3. how are they the same
  4. how are they different
  5. is one better than (preferable, prior, exclusive, opposite, inverse) the other

A Parody of Dialectic From Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead


With spectators?

Do you want to play questions?

How do you play that?

You have to ask a question.

Statement. One - Love.

Cheating.

How?

I haven't started yet.

Statement. Two - Love.

Are you counting that?

What?

Are you counting that?

Foul. No repetition. Three - Love and game.

I'm not going to play if you're going to be like that.

Who's serve?

Uh...

Hesitation. Love - One.

Who's go?

Why?

Why not?

What for?

HA. No synonyms. One all.

What in God's name is going on?

Foul. No rhetoric. Two - One.

What does it all add up to?

Can't you guess?

Are you addressing me?

Is there anyone else?

Who?

How would I know?

Why do you ask?

Are you serious?

Was that rhetoric?

No.

Statement. Two all. Game point.

What's the matter with you today?

When?

What?

Are you deaf?

Am I dead?

Yes or no?

Is there a choice?

Is there a God?

Foul. No non-sequiturs. Three - Two. One game all.

What's your name?

What's yours?

You first.

Statement. One - Love.

What's your name when you're at home?

What's yours?

When I'm at home?

Is it different at home?

What home?

Haven't you got one?

Why do you ask?

What are you driving at?

What's your name?

Repetition. Two - Love. Match point.

Who do you think you are?

Rhetoric. Game and match!