Terminology & Glossary

This glossary encompasses the central concepts of reflexive philosophy according to Johannes Heinrichs, based on his work Dialectics as Reflection Logic (2025). Reflexive philosophy develops a systematic doctrine of the self-referential structures of consciousness and reality.

About this Terminology

The terminology used here follows the system of four meaning elements (Es, Ich, Du, Medium) and dialectical subsumption. These concepts are not arbitrarily chosen but arise from the reflexive structure of self-consciousness itself.

Usage notes:

Algorithm

Usually denotes a schematic, automating computational procedure. As such, as formalism, it actually has no place in dialectical thinking, unlike in formal logic and mathematics. The only algorithm that is even fundamental and characteristic of the conception of dialectics presented here is what the author calls dialectical subsumption. In contrast to the common formal subsumption of the specific under general determinations, it contains the repeated subsumption of the most general determinations, here the meaning elements, under each of them, thus the subsumption of the general under the particular.

Antinomy

Logical antinomy or logical paradox is based on the non-observance of inner self-reference. Antinomic are those statements which, being true, are false; and being false, are true.

Being for Oneself

One of the four meaning elements. Being for oneself stands for subjectivity and the personal dimension of self-reference. It designates the active center of implicit self-consciousness, which infolds into all other areas through dialectical subsumption.

Between

A term introduced by the dialogue philosopher Martin Buber in his main work “I and Thou,” which states that shared meaning as well as love adheres neither to the I nor to the You alone. The meaning medium represents a transcendental-philosophical generalization of the dialogical between.

Body Logic

The ontological consideration of bodily nature, insofar as it is structurally predominantly, though not exclusively, characterized by mathematics, in contrast to the reflection logic of the psychological and to spirit logic.

Cognition Functions

Perceiving, thinking, feeling, intuiting, secondarily also imagination and memory, are all nothing but levels of reflection of the fundamentally dialectical self-reference-in-other-reference, including their mutual dialectical subsumption, thus the fractal subdivision of these graduated cognition functions through their main division.

Coincidentia Oppositorum

Coincidence of opposites: particularly that precisely the reflexive punctuality of self-accomplishment opens the spiritual universe. This “incarnational” unity shows the inseparability of the punctual, individual self-accomplishment from the opening of the universal meaning medium.

Communication

We can take the freedom, expectations and wishes of others as seriously as our own and respond to them communicatively, as for example in friendship. Such a relationship is mutually-doubly-reflected.

Exemplary case of the gaze: I look at the Other insofar as they look at me as one who sees them (doubly reflected reciprocity); I engage in a communicative (not merely strategically interested) mutuality.

Consciousness

Is—unrecognizedly—already a dialectical concept, since inseparable from the forms of the unconscious, which are nothing other than shadow-forms of consciousness.

Consciousness shows four different states:

  1. Waking with outer experience mediated through the senses
  2. The world of reflection—of thought associations based on language
  3. The world of dreams, where representations form independently and the human being becomes as it were a spectator of themselves
  4. The world of deep sleep, the absence of consciousness contents, which state appears akin to that of death

Dialectical Subsumption

The principle of dialectical subsumption results from careful reconstruction work in the dialogue of concept and experience from the reflexive mirroring-structure of reality itself. The structural unfolding (subdivision) is not a mere branching or splitting, but a fractal one: With each new differentiation, the original main structure is repeated with new content.

In contrast to common formal subsumption, it contains the repeated subsumption of the most general determinations (meaning elements) under each of them. This leads to a fractal structuring of ontological significance.

Dialectics

Dialectics is thinking in opposition-unities. Dialectical thinking grasps opposites in their unity. Dialectics is defined here epistemologically as thinking in opposites or as uncovering ontological opposites and as happening in opposites.

Explicit Reflection

Explicit reflection is an act in which the original self-reference explicitly becomes the theme. It is necessarily retrospective, for it presupposes what it refers to. More generally: all re-thinking in the sense of retrospective and explicit reflection.

In contrast to implicit reflection, which is the original life of consciousness itself.

Finitude

The finite shows itself in the immediacy of finitude, in the relationship of ought and barrier, and in the transition to the infinite.

Holographic Dialectics

“I would therefore like to characterize Bohm’s thought of ‘implicit order’—following his own comparisons with holography—as a holographic dialectics. ‘Holography’ stands here for natural or artificial techniques of implicitness” like the well-known optical holograms.

Dialectics between invisible, enfolded (implicit) order and manifest, unfolded (explicit) order of matter (after David Bohm).

I

One of the four meaning elements. The I stands for subjectivity and the personal dimension of self-reference. It designates the active center of implicit self-consciousness, which infolds into all other areas through dialectical subsumption.

The sublation of the I in spirituality does not mean its annihilation, but its threefold transformation: overcoming of self-will, preservation of its activity function, elevation to pure receptivity.

Implicit Reflection

Implicit reflection as THE essence of self-consciousness. Self-consciousness is implicit (non-objectified) self-reference. When we speak about it, we come too late, so to speak, and explicate in retrospective objectifying reflection something after the fact, which by its essence is precisely not an object.

This is the fundamental accomplishment from which all other forms of reflection spring.

Integration through Differentiation

Not an undialectical integralism creates unity and wholeness, but the ordered dialectical interplay of the well-distinguished levels of reflection of the social. A principle of psychological and world-historical-social significance with regard to the frequent non-differentiation of race (descent), religion, culture, political legal order and economy.

The unity of a society arises not through integralism, but through the differentiated dialectical interplay of the levels of reflection (economy, politics, culture, fundamental values).

Interpenetration

The dialectical penetration of components, especially of body, soul and spirit. The mutual, dialectical penetration of the principles: body (being-outside-oneself), soul (being-with-oneself) and spirit (self-transcendence).

It

One of the four meaning elements. The It stands for the materiality and objectivity of experience. It designates the pre-personal, bodily-material moment of reality, which infolds into all other areas in dialectical subsumption as a necessary element.

Meaning Elements

The system of four meaning elements. The dialectical structure of self-reference-in-other-reference necessarily unfolds in a system of four fundamental meaning elements: It, I, You, Medium.

These are not arbitrarily chosen or found merely empirically, but result from the reflexive structure of self-consciousness itself.

Meaning Medium

The meaning medium is the infinite space of meaning in which all concrete meanings differentiate. The I participates in the infinite Medium of meaning and grasps itself therein in its dialogical finitude and simultaneously in its capacity for the infinite. This is the most comprehensive form of self-reference-in-other-reference.

Mediality

Mediality as distinguished relation to the meaning medium. Counter-directional dialectics of positing and presupposition of the Medium from the subjects.

One of the four meaning elements, which stands for the transpersonal dimension and designates the comprehensive meaning medium in which all concrete meanings differentiate.

Medium

The meaning medium is the infinite space of meaning in which all concrete meanings differentiate. The I participates in the infinite medium of meaning and grasps itself therein in its dialogical finitude and simultaneously in its capacity for the infinite.

The Medium stands in counter-directional dialectics: It is positing by the subjects and simultaneously presupposition of their capabilities. It was developed as an advancement of the Buberian between of I and You.

Metacommunication

It is more than talking about talking = explicitly-rational metacommunication. As lived (performative, ontological), metacommunication means the practical engagement with insights and values of togetherness.

Metacommunication (intentionality level 4) does not primarily mean talking about talking (explicit metacommunication), but implicit reflection of interpersonal communication. It is norm-setting and prerequisite-rich.

Metalanguage

In the linguistic sense, it is the distinction of a linguistic investigative language about object languages. In the sense of reflection-theoretical semiotics, it means artistic language, which internally presupposes normal everyday language.

Mutuality/Reciprocity

Is in reflection-theoretical regard a demanding concept, too seldom and too little observed. It is precisely not about simple intentionality (level 1), also not just about factual mutuality (strategic level 2), but about communicative mutuality (level 3), where I make the wishes and expectations of the others my own.

Communicative mutuality consists in the constant preservation of free mutuality. It leads to the metacommunicative level (level 4), which is norm-setting and prerequisite-rich, insofar as all participants draw from the general meaning medium.

Paradox

Unexpected counter-directionality of effects. The concept is by no means identical with that of dialectics, with which it is often confused. But both can go together to form a paradoxical dialectics, and this is frequently the case in the realm of action.

Reflection Logic

Reflection logic means first: taking seriously that the specific main object of philosophy—in contrast to all object-sciences—are self-referential relations, as they are given exemplarily and originally with the ‘miracle’ of human self-consciousness.

The “formalization” of many-valued logical relations based on self-reference is not possible in the formal-logical sense of a computational algorithm, but certainly in the sense of a typology and structural description of dialectical relations.

Reverse Dialectics

Nature dialectics as ‘relativistic’ (connecting to Einstein’s formula) reverse dialectics of the ideal (numbers) and material (after Peter Plichta). Space as the epitome of objectification and dialectical reversal of enfolded mass. Time as dialectical reversal of energy.

Self-Reference

The fundamental structure of consciousness as self-reference-in-other-reference. Self-reference is the basic phenomenon from which the system of four meaning elements and dialectical subsumption arise.

Semiotic Dimensions of Language

Basic functions of language first highlighted by Charles W. Morris in 1937 under this designation. In the sense of reflection theory, a fourness of language dimensions results in reflection-theoretical order:

  1. Sigmatic sign dimension
  2. Semantic meaning dimension
  3. Pragmatic action dimension
  4. Syntactic connection dimension

Semiotic Levels

The grand, consequential view of the reflection-graded connection of action, language, art, mysticism can be illustrated in an ascending pyramid:

Action → Language (Meta-Action) → Art (Meta-Language) → Mysticism (Meta-Art).

Social Reflection

A concept newly introduced since 1975/6. Before all level-logic of interpersonal reference, it must be grasped that sociality fundamentally consists of reciprocal reflection-relations.

The levels of intersubjective relation, of social reflection:

  1. Unreflected-objective relation or instrumental action
  2. One-sided-simple reflection or strategic action
  3. Counter-directional-double reflection: communicative mutuality
  4. Reflection of the preceding mutuality: metacommunication

Soul Logic

The soul is the individual, in contrast to the universal. To combine both as “mind” and oppose them to “matter” is the source of many errors. Soul is, as human, constituted by complete implicit self-reflection, in animals by incomplete ontological self-reflection, as is proper to organisms.

Spirit Logic

Idea of a spirit logic beyond dialectics as soul logic as well as mathematical body logic. Spirit-logical paradoxes differ from logical antinomies through the recognition of fundamental self-reference.

Model example: “Not to be conquered by the greatest, yet to be contained in the smallest” (Hölderlin). Other examples are so-called “divine attributes” like infinity, omnipotence, timelessness, spacelessness, omnipresence, omniscience.

Sublation

The first to explicitly introduce sublation in the threefold sense in writing was the Hegel expert Johann Eduard Erdmann, in his book Logic and Metaphysics of 1841. Specifically the spiritual ‘extinction’ of the I can only be understood and accepted in the sense of its ‘sublation’ in the threefold Hegelian sense:

  1. Overcoming of the ego-bound self-will (tollere)
  2. Preservation of the positive function of the I as irreplaceable center of activity (conservare)
  3. Elevation of the I-function to pure receptivity toward the infinite Medium (elevare)

Theory-Practice Dialectics

The dialectics of theory and practice manifests particularly in the concrete participation of people in the various social systems. Theory grows from this participation and acts back upon it—a process that shows itself in economic production and consumption, in political participation, in cultural creation as well as in ethical-religious practice.

Unconscious

There is no human consciousness without unconscious in multiple, in principle threefold meaning:

  1. The physical subconscious
  2. The psychic unconscious as implicit consciousness, called preconscious by Freud
  3. The spiritual superconscious, which manifests not least as “collective unconscious” (C.G. Jung)

Universal Language

There exists a little recognized, yet indissoluble dialectics of genotypical universal language and phenotypical mother tongues, also more generally of genotype and phenotype. Here too ‘dialectics’ does not mean contradiction, but belonging-together of opposites, in this case of universal structures and local use of these.

You

One of the four meaning elements. The You represents the dimension of interpersonal encounter and dialogue. In the system of meaning elements, it embodies the social-communicative aspect of human existence, which unfolds through all areas via dialectical subsumption.

The chapter references refer to the main passages of treatment in “Dialectics as Reflection Logic” (2025). The concepts often appear in other chapters as well.

Further resources: