Chapter 5 Blog Post

Within the Dialogic Ethics chapter, there seemed to be emphasis on difference and the Other. On a daily basis, encountering difference occurs in nearly in every aspect of our lives. Whether it be on our commute to school, in a classroom, at work, etc., Difference can be our key to learning about things that we thought not possible before these encounters. This creates possibility within our personal lives. I interpret this further and more personally to be considered as looking at the person to whom you are in conversation with and imaging their view as a possibility. What they are saying is a reality to them – and this awareness makes us even more aware of difference that occurs and puts into perspective of how much more difference there is than we initially think. 

I appreciated our text book’s emphasis on learning as a part a foundation of difference. “Learning is the anchor in an era that rebels against universalistic foundations. Difference opens the door to learning (p. 81).” In addition to difference, dialogue adds other perspectives, ideas, and thoughts. I believe that through listening to the Other and their difference, learning takes place within ourselves and can become self-reflective to where our original ideas and thoughts have the potential to be transformed. For example, if I were to encounter someone of a different culture (the Other) and they perceived a situation differently than I did, I would look at their perception as valid and become aware of the difference of perception and possibly learn from that difference to alter my initial perception.