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The Socratic method as a breakthrough
It is proper to evaluate philosophical ideas in their historical context because, like for technology innovations, their merit or value depends on the state of the art. Nowadays, nobody would bother to reinvent the wheel, but when the wheel was invented, it brought massive advantages to transportation and trade. Socratic questioning, also known as the…
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How Socratic questioning improves our thinking
When we speak of improving one’s thinking, we don’t mean making individuals more intelligent. Socrates did not invent a method to turn everyone into a genius. His objective was more subdued and modest. He just wanted to disprove exaggerated, arbitrary, contradictory claims. To the extent that the Socratic method works, it can help us think…
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Socrates’ method for teaching critical thinking
The term “critical thinking” did not exist in Ancient Greece. Neither Plato nor Aristotle called themselves critical thinkers, although they were conscious of the differences between their ideas and what most people believed in Ancient Athens. In the case of Socrates, it is fair to employ the term “critical thinking” because his debates aimed at…
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Socrates’ and Plato’s “Phaedrus” explained
Plato’s “Phaedrus,” a protracted dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus, is one of the most confusing texts in the history of philosophy. Why? Because it jumps from subject to subject without building a waterproof chain of arguments, and to make it worse, it often arrives at the wrong conclusions. I must start by saying that it…
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Warnings about Socrates’ theory of soul
If you accept Socrates’ theory of the soul, chances are that you might be limiting your potential. In the case of Socrates, his theory of the soul ended up limiting his lifespan because it led to a criminal prosecution and a death sentence. I can only guess how many more years Socrates would have lived…
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What Socrates believed about the soul
I tend to run away from any philosopher that preaches the cultivation of the soul, especially if he employs grandiloquent words. Socrates (469-399 BC) spoke widely about the soul, but his conception was practical most of the time. Socrates’ advice for cultivating one’s soul is spread across a dozen Plato’s dialogues, but they all share…
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Controversy in Socrates’ philosophy of life
We know for sure that Socrates existed because his trial and philosophical doctrines are reported by multiple sources. The historian Xenophon (430-350 BC) wrote a chronicle of the criminal trial against Socrates, and so did Plato (427-347 BC). In addition, Xenophon wrote “Memorabilia,” which retells details and anecdotes of Socrates’ life. If we put those…
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Socrates’ philosophy of life, in simple words
“When a man takes a position that he believes to be right,” said Socrates, “or has been placed there by his commander, he must remain in his post without fear of death.” This is a quote from Plato’s “Apology,” section 29a, and summarises Socrates’ philosophy of life. We must first make correct, virtuous decisions, and…
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Insights of Socrates about the good life
For those who want to ruin their lives, Socrates constitutes a model to imitate. All they need to do is to make enemy after enemy, irritate lots of powerful people, and when retaliation comes, they can stay immobile like sitting ducks, waiting for a death sentence, instead of seizing the opportunity to escape. If Socrates…
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Socrates’ path to happiness
If Socrates delineated a feasible path to happiness, millions of people would be interested in applying his doctrines, but in spite of his extraordinary reputation as a thinker, his advice about happiness is only lightly presented in philosophy books. I do not think that it is asking too much from thinkers to provide solid evidence…
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Recent Posts
- The Socratic method as a breakthrough
- How Socratic questioning improves our thinking
- Socrates’ method for teaching critical thinking
- Socrates’ and Plato’s “Phaedrus” explained
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