How the Socratic Method Can Liberate Your Thinking

Socrates is probably the world's most famous philosopher (besides Confucius). Born in 469 B.C., Socrates' dream was that philosophy would set humanity free. He lived in Athens and (famously) died for his beliefs after being put on trial. Although he wrote nothing, we know of him through Plato, who wrote dialogues between Socrates and his pupils.

One of Socrates' most inspiring ideas was that thinking logically about our lives will help us be more certain of ourselves, more independent, and less conformist. His philosophy gives us the ability to exude confidence and not be swayed by others' beliefs.

Many of us follow passively and find it to be terrifying to break away from the group. But why do we follow sheepishly behind people? Most of the time, it is because 'important' people are in positions of power and authority. We tend to accept that these people are right because of a 'dazzling' allure rather than sound logic.

 Socrates encouraged individuals to use reason in order to question authority and challenge their established ideologies. He spent much of his time in the Agora (i.e., the Athenian marketplace) questioning storekeepers, merchants, and important people about their lives and why they pursued the activities they did. Many of them could not muster a reasonable retort to many of the questions Socrates asked, which left them dumbfounded by the philosopher. Socrates simply found inadequacies in people's reasoning... and they didn't much appreciate him for it, naturally.  He illuminated that if only individuals had the intelligence and audacity to confront and question authority or important people, they would find inadequacies in their reasoning that their demeanor wouldn't normally show.

Socrates wanted us to scrutinize what we believe. He believed that everyone had a responsibility to think and reflect on their life, questioning their beliefs, reasons, and motives. Everyone is capable of doing this and should because an "unexamined life is not worth living." All of us can overcome our laziness and timidity, hash out what we really think, and then stand by it.

Socrates' philosophy not only gives the individual confidence to challenge traditions, beliefs, and the dominant ideologies but also gives us a way to develop beliefs on our own through reason and logic. You don't need a degree or formal education. Socrates believed philosophy could happen anywhere, and the qualification was just the discussion or development of reasoned thought. Socrates developed a rigorous test called the Socratic Method in order to answer the question, "Is my idea worth standing up for?"

Socrates was leery of democracy because it was based on the majority's opinion and not necessarily the most logically thought-out or reasonable decisions. He applied his own philosophy and stood up, courageously and intelligently, to the will of the majority. Intelligent non-conformity is a predominant virtue of Socrates philosophy; and since he applied his philosophy, he made trouble for a lot of Athenians. Anyone can cause a disruption for the wrong reasons, but what made Socrates' pursuits noble was his desire to find the truth and challenge lazy assumptions.

Most know that Socrates was put on trial and died for his beliefs, but most don't know why. The charge levied against Socrates was for corrupting the youth of Athens and disrespecting the gods the city-state worshiped. From the beginning, the 500 jurors in Socrates trial were not 'on his side.' They were suspicious of him, and a lot of them had been questioned by him before in the Agora. Socrates knew that he would not be favored in his trial and that the penalty for the charges levied against him was death. Still, he never lost his nerve, although he was fatalistic about the outcome.

In Athenian trials, each side of the debate only had a certain amount of time to plead its case. Socrates remarked on how he could explain himself clearly if he only had more time... but he didn't. Instead, he was sentenced to death and died for his beliefs.

All of us have the capacity to stop being sheep and become thinking people,  otherwise known as philosophers. We all have the capacity and duty to stop passively following opinions. Think and take action because we all have a responsibility to develop beliefs we can truly have confidence defending!

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Other Related blog(s): Sociology of Love, Lyceum Recordz

For more about the Trial and Death of Socrates, visit Legal Heresy.