DICHOTOMY: ORIGIN, MEANINGS AND EXAMPLES OF USE - DUDAS - 2024

The word dichotomy is a feminine noun whose meaning indicates the separation of a concept or object of study into two parts. These two parts can be complementary, opposite or antagonistic to each other.

For example, there is a dichotomy between good and evil, light and shadow, material and immaterial, theory and practice, mind and body, form and substance, to name a few terms. As we can see, these are usually related concepts that are separated, but that maintain their equivalence, either because they are contrary or resemble each other.

The dichotomy, separation of a concept into two parts for study. Source: pixabay.com.

Depending on the discipline or field in which it is applied, the term dichotomy has different meanings. It is used in psychology, anatomy, philosophy, logic, law, mathematics, linguistics, to name a few branches of knowledge.

Meanings and origin of the word dichotomy

Among the meanings of dichotomy we have "to separate or divide something into two parts." This term seeks to be able to confront concepts with each other in order to understand them, both from the points where they are similar and agree, and from those where they separate and differ. For example: sun and moon, sea and river, or day and night.

Etymology

The word dichotomy originates etymologically from the prefix díxa, which in Greek means “in two parts”, and from témnein, which is equivalent to “cut”. Together they form the word dichotomes, whose literal translation would be "cut into two parts."

Dichotomy in psychology

In psychology, we speak of dichotomous thinking when reality is perceived in a polarized way and in absolute terms. It is often characteristic of authoritarian, inflexible, resistant to change and prejudiced people.

People with this thought classify situations, objects or people as good or bad, correct or incorrect, for me or against me, to name a few perceptions.

They do so without taking into account many other factors, possibilities or variations. It is harmful because it often leads to false conclusions and judgments.

Dichotomy in philosophy

From the point of view of philosophy, dichotomy represents a process that allows concepts to be divided into two consecutively. With this it is possible to obtain from a conception A, a conception B and another C. In the same way from the resulting concept as B two more concepts will emerge, that is, D and E, and so on.

With this, a deeper conception of things and how they are formed was sought.

Dichotomy in law

The main dichotomy in the field of law and jurisprudence is that between public law and private law. It is necessary to know their differences and also the way in which they interrelate to apply the law and do justice.

Public law deals with the relationships between individuals (private companies or natural persons) and state institutions, or between state institutions. It includes constitutional law, criminal law, tax law, etc.

Private law deals with inheritance, contracts, marriages, family, businesses and the relationships of individuals with each other.

Dichotomy in medicine

In medicine, specifically in the field of anatomy, a dichotomy is referred to when there is a branching of some type of tissue. For example, in the circulatory system where blood vessels continually branch

The same happens in the lymphatic system and in the nervous system, in which the fibers are divided and branched by dichotomy. The trachea is another example of what they call “dichotomous bifurcation”, which gives rise to the appearance of the bronchi.

Dichotomy in literature

The dichotomy in literature is presented through the different visions that can arise from the appreciation of a literary work. This arises from the interaction of readers and critics regarding the content of a given text. For example, there are those who may think that Don Quixote's madness did not arise from a lot of reading, but from malnutrition and vice versa.

The dichotomy that occurs between the works of two authors can also enter in this section. For example, the one that can occur between Miguel de Cervantes and Félix Lope de Vega.

Dichotomy in botany

A similar case occurs in the field of botany, in which the branches of plants appear by dichotomy. That is, these originate from the separation of a branch into two smaller branches that are very similar to each other, or the stem into two branches.

Dichotomy in logic

In the field of logic, dichotomies are used to explain concepts by negation. There is a general principle or concept that is divided into a more specific one and its opposite (which is the negation of the first), and in this way both are explained.

The dichotomy between what is true and what is false governs classical logic (also called bivalent logic) and its three fundamental principles: the principle of identity, the principle of non-contradiction and the principle of excluded third party.

- The first of these principles proposes that what is one thing cannot be the rest (A will always be A and is different from B).

- The second establishes that if a proposition is true, its logical opposite will be false (if it is true that it is now daytime, it cannot be true that it is now night).

One can also speak of a dichotomy by opposition of concepts. Source: pixabay.com.

- The third principle indicates that something can only be true or false, there is no intermediate option.

Dichotomy in mathematics

In the realm of mathematics, a dichotomy applies when separating. For example, the real numbers in rational and irrational. In turn, rational numbers are made up of the dichotomy between integers and decimals. In this case the dichotomy establishes differences and at the same time orders the elements.

False dichotomies

If we apply the principles of bivalent logic (of double value) to matters of everyday life, or to complex subjects such as politics or psychology, we can fall into the so-called “false dichotomies” or “false dilemma fallacy”.

These are false conclusions that originate in reducing a list of possible solutions to a problem (or a list of proposals) to only two options that must necessarily be chosen from, without taking into account the rest of the alternatives.

For example, Sofía did not arrive at the scheduled time for the appointment and Ana wonders if she forgot or is ill. In this case, you are leaving aside many other possibilities: you were delayed for various reasons, could not attend due to some other obligation, had an accident, fell asleep, etc.

Dichotomous method

The dichotomous method is a study method applicable to certain objects. It consists of approaching the object of study, separating it into two parts with opposite characteristics.

This method is widely used in biology, specifically in the field of genetics and also in taxonomy, to separate and establish differences in genera, subgenera, species, etc.

Synonyms

- Bifurcation.

- Separation.

- Division.

- Antagonism.

- Branching.

- Complementarity.

- Bipartition.

Usage examples

- The dichotomy between right and left is detrimental to Latin American politics.

- There should be no dichotomy between ecological actions and economic growth, they must go hand in hand.

- The carotid by dichotomy is divided into external and internal carotid artery.

- In the middle of the dichotomy between true and false there are countless nuances

- It is necessary to know all matters concerning the law beyond the dichotomy between public and private law

References

1. Dichotomy (2019). Spain: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org.
2. False Dichotomy (2019). Spain: Logical Fallacies. Recovered from: falaciaslogicas.com.
3. Meaning of Dichotomy (2019). (N / A): Meanings.com. Recovered from: significados.com.
4. Dichotomy (2019). (N / A): Word Reference. Recovered from: wordreference.com.
5. Dichotomy (2019). Spain: Royal Academy of the Spanish Language. Recovered from: dle.rae.es.