Simply put, dialectical monism is a positive formulation of non-dualism. Rather than focusing on what reality is not, as traditional non-dualism does, dialectical monism attempts to establish what reality is, or at least what can be reasonably said about reality in linguistic and conceptual terms. It does so by positing a "universal dialectic," which is envisioned as a transcendental ultimate principle uniting all complementary polarities.
Foundations of a Universal Dialectic
Dialectical monism is the ontology of Taoism, some forms of Buddhism and Hinduism, and a variety of mystical traditions. In Taoism, for example, the universal dialectic is known as Taiji, meaning "supreme ultimate principle." Dialectical monism was also the ontology of foundational Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who wrote the following:
"Men do not know how that which is drawn in different directions harmonises with itself. The harmonious structure of the world depends upon opposite tension like that of the bow and the lyre."
Dialectical monism is found at the heart of many ancient and modern philosophies which attempt to plumb the depths of reality. The same is true of non-dualism, but dialectical monism differs from traditional non-dualism in that non-dualism generally declines to make any affirmative ontological statements. In positing a universal dialectic, dialectical monism says something about "how reality is," but it would be a mistake to presume that it is is a traditional sort of ontology because of this.
Rather, the universal dialectic concept is best interpreted as undermining the substance of all subsequent metaphysical statements. If reality is composed of complementary polarities, any ontology making reference to a particular perspective or foundation will be necessarily incomplete. For example, from the perspective of dialectical monism, neither "being" or "non-being" can be reasonably asserted. Here, one might assume that dialectical monism would assert "both being and non-being," but this would in turn be opposed by the polarity of "neither being nor non-being."
A Transcendent Principle
Ultimately, dialectical monism posits nothing beyond the universal dialectic itself, whereas non-dualism would assert nothing at all. The difference, in practical terms, is that dialectical monism allows for a basic conceptual and linguistic foundation for a minimalist ontology, whereas non-dualism taken seriously admits of only silence. Under dialectical monism, we can at least make reference to the universal dialectic as a foundational principle. There is a transcendent ground of reality which can be meaningfully asserted, even if nothing further can be said of it.
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