Special Section: The Critical Role of the Dialectic in Viable Metatheory

Abstract

Henriques (2008) persuasively argues that his Tree of Knowledge (ToK) System provides a more viable alternative to Wilson's (1998) consilience model as a framework for integrating knowledge generated by the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. I selectively deconstruct the ToK System to demonstrate that its capacity to solve problems through integrative solutions and to advance interdisciplinary conjunctions derives from its pervasive dialectical ontology and epistemology. Emphasis is on analyzing Behavioral Investment Theory, the Justification Hypothesis (the JH), and Henriques' solution to the problem of psychology—all essential to unifying the three great branches of learning. I also suggest directions for further development of the JH, rooted in the psychoanalytic classical—relational dialectic. Potent implications of Henriques' formulations for epistemological bridging within psychology and for multidisciplinary integration are discussed.