Are we asking the right question?
Are we drilling deep enough?
Socrates
If we were to trace back Western thought to just one man, Socrates would arguably be the most suitable candidate. A thinker of great renown in classical Athens, he taught several giants of philosophy, including Plato, leaving an indelible mark on their intellects. One of the key breakthroughs that he made was the development of what has come to be known as the Socratic Method. Here, he suggests that functioning societies are comprised of a number of ‘gadflies’, in other words people willing to recognise biases and incongruities in logic, regardless of any social constraints they may be under.[1] This process has become instilled in Western practice ever since. The Socratic method is used in a wide variety of fields to this day, from politics and economics to science and technology. Law institutes still teach courses that are founded upon this method, which encourage students to use an ‘inquisitional format’ to find solutions to problems.[2]
Thanks to the renaissance, classical thought was reintroduced to the world around the 15th century after a period of obscurity. Its reintroduction coincided with a tremendous flowering of culture, which is no coincidence. Italian translations of Socrates glossed over some of the perceived flaws that were considered at the time to be more unpalatable to potential readers (his homosexual tendencies being a prime example) and highlighted the more prescient outcomes of his thought. Socrates had advocated for the dismissal of hierarchy, arguing that students should be brave enough to ask questions of those in authority.[3] These were revolutionary ideas that would soon change the way the world thought.
Socrates believed in the power of ‘productive discomfort’.[4] By this, he meant that only by asking tough, searching questions can we find the solutions to large problems. The Magic Formula of 6 uses Socrates as a lynchpin of its structure partly because of the importance of this principle. The great Greek thinker did not have time for any of the petty social considerations that have held back society for millennia. Instead, he believed that the truth was more important. The Magic Formula of 6 is, above all, a method for extracting truth and lucidity from an otherwise muddled and confusing world. The Socratic method can help us get to a place where we ask the right questions and truly propel society forward to reach its real potential.
Not only does the Socratic method allow us to question authority, but it also allows us to question taboos and controversial theories. As the world becomes increasingly driven by modern technology, society will ultimately have to come to terms with a number of ethical quandaries. Can we alter biology? How much power should afford artificial intelligence in ironing out inequality and inefficiency? These are questions that have seismic implications for the way we live, but it is of utmost importance that we ask them. The Formula of 6 uses Socrates to instil within us all the kind of intellectual bravery and will to understand that has made him one of the most enduring thinkers in all of human history.
It is hard to overstate the importance of using the Socratic method to uncover truth. There can be no doubt that our understanding of our place in the world is increased when we place an emphasis on the truth. After all, it is in this pursuit of truth that real advances can be made.
The Socratic method is tailormade for our current era. Rapid advances to technology have led us to confront challenging questions that would be unanswerable without a robust rubric for doing so. The Magic Formula of 6 will use Socrates as the guide to achieve this, and in doing so will break down many of the barriers to understanding that have held us back up to now.
Every topic that is explored by the Magic Formula of 6 shall be exposed to the question of “Are we asking the right questions and are we drilling deep enough?”. It is a question that is crucial to our collective advancement as a species, and one which this Formula will never shirk. ‘The unexamined life is not worth living’ is one of Socrates’ most enduring quotes. It was a belief that he truly lived by. Socrates deservedly occupies a key spot in this formula, and his intellectual curiosity will drive all attempts to find the truth.