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Philosophy

Ancient Foundations

How the West learned to ask a question properly

Socrates · Plato · Aristotle · 6 chapters · 18 min read

Where Western philosophy learned to ask questions.

Free to read: every chapter below is open

Socrates & the Art of Questioning

  1. 01The Socratic MethodOn why the fastest way to expose a bad idea is to ask about it, not argue with it.
  2. 02Know ThyselfOn the claim that nobody does wrong on purpose, and what follows if that is true.

Plato & the World Behind the World

  1. 03The Theory of FormsOn how we can measure things against a standard we have never actually seen.
  2. 04The Allegory of the CaveOn why being shown the truth is painful, and why the messenger is usually resented.

Aristotle & the Habit of Character

  1. 05Virtue Ethics & EudaimoniaOn the shift from asking what to do, to asking who to become.
  2. 06The Golden MeanOn why there is no correct amount of anything, and what to do about that.