Have you ever argued with your friend about some ideological concept? Did you notice that we may not always persuade the others? My answer is Yes because we are the person that only have analogical thinking skills, not univocal thinking ability. This article is going to explain how the concept of analogical thinking leads people to always argue and cannot accept another side opinion.
First of all, we need to talk about the thinking. In the Philosophy sphere, Descartes advocated the concept of "I think therefore I am”, it influences independent thinking. He found that the ability of thinking is the unique method to prove the existence of humans. Moreover, Kierkegaard inherited Descartes’s thesis and pointed out that subjectivity is a truth. It means that what you think is true that is the truth. Both of them tell us the fact that our opinions from our mind are subjective and absolute. That’s why we always think that we are correct and others are wrong.
Why can humans not understand others absolutely and perfectly? Because our thinking is analogical thinking. In Christian apologetics, they believe that the knowledge of god and the knowledge of human are analogical, not univocal. Thus, all truths are analogical truths, as well as all thinking, is analogical thinking (thinking God's thoughts after him). The relationship between the mind of God and the mind of man is quantitative difference and qualitative difference. Analogical thinking is talking about the logic reasoning approaching of the epistemology, and show the distinction between god and man. For example, you told me that you love your girlfriend, then I trust your statement and proclaim that is true. Now, I tell others that you love your girlfriend very much. But the content of my knowledge about "you love your girlfriend" does not exactly equal to your real feeling and the content of your own knowledge and mind. So, when I told the others that you love your girlfriend, this is "analogical thinking", not "univocal thinking", because only you know how much and how deep you love your girlfriend. I am a re-interpreter only, the quantitative difference and qualitative difference exists.
In theory, we cannot accept others opinion that violates our belief. However, God created the conscience to us, it makes us love others and accommodate others’ views with an open mind. As Voltaire said, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”, it is no doubt that arguing with others is our natural instincts, but loving our neighbour and being a moral person is as well as our native. Arguing is combative, a discussion is a healthy form of discussion.
