Human Dialogue

Abstract

This book is an elucidation and defense of four main propositions: (1) human nature is essentially rational; (2) rational nature is a conversation; (3) as the essential fabric of human nature, the reason exists as a potentiality in the formal organization of the human body; and (4) at the individual and collective levels, humanity grows and develops in the medium of conversation. Moreover, human nature is the unity of the capacities of intellect, which aims at the value of truth, goodness, which aims at the value of human love or happiness, and will, which aims at the value of freedom. Accordingly, in any type of human dialogue, or conversation, the dialogist should act as a human being and treats the other dialogist as a human being. This assumption underlies the analysis of the basic types of individual and inter-institutional dialogue.