He analyzes three forms of gender relations, not just one as is commonly believed. By grasping the complexity of this theory, it is possible to clarify the nature of the dilemmas of social association which men and women, privately and also publicly, face. Rousseau s failure is that he does not adequately problematize the patriarchal family. An Essay in the Instrumentalist Tradition Dialogue is a major tool in the resolution of conflict situations. Its effectiveness is a function of our ability to utilize elements within the conflict situation that draws the participants into discussion.
Effective dialogue uses the authority of the life process as a guide.
It takes up any facts or aspects of the situation that are relevant to the solution of the conflict. They are factors in a continuum of inquiry that eventually leads us to focus upon the practical problem. Many political disagreements are deeper than mere differences of opinion. People who simply differ in their opinions can understand and argue with one another, but between liberals and conservatives there is a often a kind of mutual incomprehension. Employing different rules of relevance and inference, they find the views of their opponents to lack plausible grounds.