The Dialectic & Praxis: Diaprax and the End of the Ages
by Dean Gotcher    deangotcher@gmail.com
The Institution for Authority Research website.

© Institution For Authority Research, Dean Gotcher 1996-2015

Permission is granted to copy and use/quote portions
of this work provided that the author, Dean Gotcher, is credited each time,
and that no changes are made to any text. Please, order booklets if you wish
to have your own hard copy.  Thank you.

Title Page to page 5

Cover Page | Title Page to page 5 |  Pages 6 to 11 |  Pages 12 to 17 |  Pages 18 to 23 |  Pages 24 to 29 |
 Pages 30 to 35 |  Pages 36 to 41 |  Pages 42 to 47 |  Pages 48 to 52 | Back Cover

THE DIALECTIC & PRAXIS:

PREFACE

           Because of the many meetings I have been speaking at during the past couple of years where a number of people have left with a feeling of loss as to what was covered, or wondering what was said that was "practical," it has become necessary for me to put down on paper what, for me, is not only a grievous issue but a difficult process to explain. If anybody wanted to accuse me of being mad, they certainly will have an opportunity to do so now. For the subject I will be covering in this small work is, to me, just that—madness. Foolish might be a better word, especially in regard to those who have spent their lives devising and implementing a process like this upon the human race. How can you explain something that appears "wise" but in reality is insanity, especially to people who only relate to those things that make sense. I might expect to hear from some of those I share this information with: "Excuse me, I have some dishes to wash!" Any such response would do. We all have better things to do with our lives than have to deal with this madness. But here we are, and if we do nothing, madness will run the day.

           This is a hurried project, not only because the time to respond appears to be running out, but also because I personally have had enough of it and at times desparately want out. "Get a life!" often crosses my mind. It appears that the pilgrims were the ones with that opportunity. I don't think there is any place to run from this process these days. My refuge is a true and sure one, though. Despite my outward complaining, God has always proven Himself faithful. Something I cannot say in regard to myself or my fellow man.

           I share in all of my presentations that "the most important event that has ever taken place in my life was when I gave my life to the Lord Jesus Christ." It was and still is only in Him that I receive the joy and peace and love that sustains me in this perverse generation. Realizing that this generation includes me, it is all the more amazing that He forgives me even when I fail Him again and again. This is something socio-psychologists will never be able to accept, because my salvation does not lie in the gray zone of human reasoning, where facts become ambiguous, feelings become ambivolent, and justification becomes automatic. My salvation does not reside in "higher-order thinking skills" or in "cosmic oneness," but in the "practical" words "It is written." and "It is Finished!" and the one who declared it so almost 2,000 years ago. He has given me His rest, not the cognitive dissonance, chaotic, coping, conflict-management stress promoted by socio-psychologists today.

           The so-called wise men of today may seek to control our schools, our business, and our politics, but they will some day realize they do not control eternity. With their glib "That's your opinion!" in response to "It is written and finished!" all I can say is "On the day of judgment, whose point of view will be most important, yours, mine, or God's?" I take refuge in the fact that God has only told us to put on His armor and occupy until His return, to trust and obey in His Word, and not to seek our own cosmic-bound unity-salvation, which seems to be so prevalent not only in the world but even in the Church today.

           The following information is not about God's armor per se, but about the scheme by which the great deceiver plans to remove our awareness of its availability and power. To my dismay, many Christians are participating in armor removal for the sake of world harmony. They are deceived and are taking pleasure in deceiving others. Let us be wise and return to the Lord and His Word. After all is said and done it is only in Him we find the true and lasting purpose for life. John 14:6 says, "He is the way, the truth, and the life," and anyone who attempts to lead those who are His, in other way, is nothing more than a thief (John 10:1), including ministers.

           One need only read II Peter 2:1-22 to understand God's contempt for those who use another way in the Church. The following pages tell how another way is being used not only in the world, but in His Church today. "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). Woe be to the man who uses the bride of Christ for his own gain.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

           Although this research paper is not the result of a committee, there are many who contributed to its production. I have to admit that much of the following material was the result of having read more than 600 socio-psychology books, written by more than 250 different authors. I did do my homework. But the real understanding came after the 8 to 10 hours of reading each day. Often I woke up at two or three o'clock in the morning with a new understanding or a phrase such as "whoever defines terms for you controls your life." Without that input from the Lord I would be no further ahead in understanding than I was six years ago when I began the serious search for what was really going on around me in education, business, politics, and religion. The answers to my questions came from God's Word, in fact, this work is nothing more than a confirmation of that Word. His Word clearly reveals the process being used today to remove our desire to trust and obey Him and His Word.

           I thank my wife, Karen, and my children, Rosanna, Kenneth, and Elizabeth, for putting up with me while I struggled to find the cause behind my near loss of faith in the Lord. This happened to me while I was pursuing a teachers degree at a "Christian" college some 25 years ago. I thank my mother, Mabel Gotcher, my oldest sister, Mary Richard; my son-in-law, Jason Ward; and my minister, Bill Yeakey , for their support in prayer and personal encouragement. This work would not be as clean as it is if it were not for the discerning eyes of Renee Gotcher and Jack Phillips. I thank you immensely; you know how to make a guy look good.

           Without Dr. David Poteet's teaching's on European History, which laid a sure historical and spiritual foundation for me to work from, I would not have been able to clearly evaluate the events taking place in society today. After four years of lonely research, often thinking I was the only one seeing what was going on (which could make anyone question their sanity), Phil Ring called and revealed to me that I was not alone, that he saw the same thing, substantiating that I was sane. He is the only one I can call today who truly understands what I'm talking about. Jack Phillips, although not related in blood, is like a father to me. His solid business sense, his wise council, and his mature outlook on life would be enough to be thankful for, but it is his compassion to do what is right, not only for his family but also for his community, that makes me want to spend time around him. We all need such friends like these.

           It is not always smart to acknowledge those who helped you along the way on any journey, especially when there are many, because you always leave someone out. Some may not even want to be mentioned after reading the following work, considering the response I might receive. In light of the times we are in, when there are those who collect lists of people to focus attack upon (remediation), I will leave my list in my heart. You know who you are.

           I tell folks that I like the company I keep. There is a remnant out there. There are those who are on the battle lines who are not fleeing from it, who are refusing to take off the armor of God. I am the privileged one to have met them and am humbled by their faith and their courage, and often secretly admit to myself that I could never do what they do. I pray this work may be an encouragement to them and others like them. It would be an honor to gather them all in one place so we could all get to know one another. I will have to leave that up to the Lord, because I know he has such a gathering planned—all expenses paid.

           I thank all of you who are risking your reputations, who have the courage to set up speaking engagements for me, who put me up for the night, send research material to me, contact me for information, and encourage me to continue sharing this information, without leaving The Lord Jesus Christ out. Thank You!

           There is a major move to change the way Americans think. Some call it "the reculturing of America," others call it "reinventing government," and still others refer to it as "being competitive in a global economy." This scheme that socio-psychologists have designed for American education, business, and politics consists of the three phases: 1) "social-class" consciousness; 2) sustainable "social mobility," and 3) perpetual "equality of opportunity." The reason behind the quest of these socio-psychologists is simply the resentment of having anyone in authority tell them what they must do. It is rebellion against authority. It is rebellion against God—Intellectualized.

           This attitude goes back beyond the garden experience of Adam and Eve and, as you will see, "justifies" itself according to a particular "scientific" way of thinking. This work is about this New Age way of thinking, the dialectic, and its environment of deceit and manipulation, called praxis. This way of thinking is currently being used in education, business, and politics around the world. The answer to the world's problems, according to those who worship this process, is not found in maturity, but is instead found in adolescence—not found in what "is," nor found in what "ought to be," but is instead found in the combination of the two: "potential."

           This "new" way of thinking is taking control of America, as well as the rest of the world, through its use in education, business, politics, and religion. Whether promoted by organizations such as the NEA, the local Chamber of Commerce, the United Nations, United Nations Education, Science, and Culture Organization (UNESCO), or through grant programs such as Goals 2000 and School To Work this process is having a direct effect upon all our lives. Researchers across America are now warning us about the danger of these programs. This paper is about the process behind these programs. If you ask "What is it?" "What will it do to me?" or "What can I do about it?" these next pages are for you.

1

           Socio-psychologist James Coleman, who has had a major influence on the U.S. Supreme Court, wrote in his book, The Adolescent Society; the Social Life of the Teenager and its Impact on Education (p. 313, following emphasis added):                                              

"The family must be prepared to deal with [the adolescent's] early social sophistication. Mass media, and an ever-increasing range of personal experiences, gives an adolescent social sophistication at an early age, making him unfit for the obedient role of the child in the family."

If the family could resolve this situation (the artificially produced generation gap), Coleman believed it would get in the way of "Equality of Opportunity." He continued:

"Equality of Opportunity becomes ever greater with the weakening of family power."

           He revealed his socio-psychological dream for America: "Equality of Opportunity." His dream for America cannot be fulfilled if Americans continue to retain their dreams of having a traditional family, structured around an authority figure. Coleman added:

"Thus the strategy of strengthening the family to draw the adolescent back into it faces serious problems, as well as some questions about its desirability."

"The other possible strategy is just the reverse of this: to take the adolescent society as given, and then use it to further the ends of adolescent education.  Rather than bringing the father back to play with his son, this strategy would recognize that society has changed, and attempt to improve those institutions designed to educate the adolescent toward adulthood.  In order to do this, one must know how adolescent societies function, and beyond that, how their directions may be changed."

2

           Richard Paul, another influential socio-psychologist wrote in his book, Critical Thinking: What Every Person Needs To Survive In A Rapidly Changing World (p.100):

"Children can and should learn to make up their own minds thoughtfully and reflectively, but they will do so only if parents and teachers recognize the problem created by belief inculcation. How can we teach dialectic reasoning and pave the way for human emancipation?"

"The classroom environment should be structured so that students feel encouraged to decide for themselves . . . teachers should shield their students from the pressure to conform to peers or the community [parents, ministers, police, etc.]." (p.113)

"Only by bringing out the child's own ideas in the dialogical and dialectic settings can the child begin to reconstruct and progressively transcend [teachers, parents, etc.] concepts.  We must learn . . . to identify not with the content of our beliefs but with the process by which we arrived at them.  We must come to define ourselves . . . as people who reason their way into, and can be reasoned out of, beliefs.  To do this we must learn how to reason dialogically and dialectically." (p.211, emphasis added)

           In the business world there is a drive to develop "quality." To do this, management manuals remind managers of the need to "reinforce the agreement" they have with department leaders "that no area is sacred," and that they need to "enforce the scientific approach," (the dialectic).  Because with this process we are not just dealing with what people produce, but with how people think and relate in their work environment (which now includes the home), the phrase "no area is sacred" takes on an ominous tone.  Anyone concerned should be concerned.

           In the traditional way of looking at things, quality is used in describing how well something, such as a car or a doll, is built.  In the transformational way of thinking, quality always incorporates the total environment of the item - the relationships of all the people designing, making, shipping, selling, servicing, and using an item, including you (wholistic).

3

           America's need to realize that Life-Long Learning is not dealing with how much people know (the traditional way of getting ahead)—through the evaluation and manipulation of things (quantity).  Life-Long Learning is dealing with how people think (the transformational way of getting ahead)—through the evaluation and manipulation of people (quality).

           In the spring issue of Education Record (1994), Bill Clinton stated: "For life-long learning to become a reality, a whole new ethic will have to grip the American imagination."

This new ethic is based upon the dialectic way of thinking, experienced in praxis.  This new ethic is even being used to unite the Church, changing the Church's focus and convincing it that if it is to help save the world in the 21st century, it will have to overcome the obstacle of Christ's second coming - God's judgment upon man's quest for cosmic oneness and sin.  Erik Fromm and other socio-psychologists with this same new ethical mindset see Satan, not Christ, as the deliverer of mankind, saving man by giving him an opportunity to be equal with the creator (equality of opportunity) and allowing him to free himself by questioning the "authoritarian"—"That's the way it is," "Do what I say," "Because I said so," Creator who promotes a lower order, "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it"—way of thinking. They see Lucifer as the one who gave Adam and Eve the right "to be their own person" and the right "to discover their full potential." I kid you not when I tell you this is the final agenda for the "reculturing of America."

           The dialectic is a way of thinking used by "intellectuals" to evaluate both personal and social "felt" needs. The first consideration of dialectic thought is how people relate to one another. This is the personal need each individual has for social relationship. The focus in satisfying these needs is not on what you think when you think about others—that is monodimensional thinking or the traditional way of thinking (didactic)—but how you think about others—that is multidimensional thinking or the transformational way of thinking (dialectic). The "others" you must think about include not only family, friends, community, established ideas, normal behavior, and traditional ways of doing things but also strangers, enemies, foreigners, innovative ideas, daring behavior, and new or different ways of doing things.

4

           These so-called experts then dialectic this information they have collected on you so they can predict or estimate the "best" way they can "help" you resolve your own personal-social relationship needs. They believe that through the use of dialectic interpersonal/intrapersonal behavior-modification techniques, every human being will eventually be better equipped to relate to a "rapidly changing world."

           These personal-social relationship needs are more than our physical needs and knowing needs, more than what one knows (quantity). The personal-social relationship needs being evaluated, according to the dialectic process, must also include emotional or relationship needs—how one relates (quality). Those who use the dialectic are therefore concerned mostly with "felt needs." Throughout this work it should be understood that personal-social relationship needs always implies felt needs, not just physical needs (survival or safety) and knowing needs (information or awareness).

           The dialectic way of thinking is more commonly referred to as Higher-Order Thinking Skills or HOTS for short by some people.

It occupied the minds of only a small and limited segment of our society before the turn of the 20th century. It was not until praxis was implemented in the late 1930s that the dialectic process moved outside the inner circle of philosophers, radical professors, liberal theologians, and socialist politicians into the public arena.

           When praxis became a part of the intellectuals' dialectic toy, major social changes began to appear within our nation. The combined process of the dialectic and praxis made it possible for socialist-minded intellectuals to directly impact not only the university, but also the public and private school, corporations as well as small business, local as well as state and national government, the church, and even the home.

           This combined process of dialectic and praxis is a highly speculative way of behaving, thinking, and acting. It depends on an attitude of compromise by all participants on a general social issue producing tolerance toward ambiguity. It seeks a collaborative effort in overcoming differences in an effort to find agreement on personal-social relationship needs (group consensus). It regards the resolution of personal-social relationship needs through the use of human-reasoning skills, or HOTS, as most important. It helps in determining what is the "best" or "most rational" solution to personal-social relationship needs. This does not mean that the solution agreed upon should be "fact" or "truth" (absolute), only that it is acceptable to all as a possible solution that could or should be tried relative feelings toward ambiguous facts.

5

Title Page to page 5

Cover Page | Title Page to page 5 |  Pages 6 to 11 |  Pages 12 to 17 |  Pages 18 to 23 |  Pages 24 to 29 |
 Pages 30 to 35 |  Pages 36 to 41 |  Pages 42 to 47 |  Pages 48 to 52 | Back Cover

© Institution For Authority Research, Dean Gotcher 1996-2015

Permission is granted to copy and use/quote portions
of this work provided that the author, Dean Gotcher, is credited each time,
and that no changes are made to any text. Please, order booklets if you wish
to have your own hard copy.  Thank you.