MM#274--The Socratic Method

Welcome to the Theory to Action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time, to help you take action immediately and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now here's your host, david Kaiser.

Hello, I am David. Welcome back to another Mojo Minute. Now I'm often asked with certain podcast episodes how do I do that research? What's the process I go about? Well, number one you have to start with critical thinking and the Socratic method, and the Socratic method holds significant value to me in doing research of any kind. I actually discovered this during my college years and it had a profound impact on my research process in college, and it's continued ever since. I was encouraged during college to question all my assumptions, to seek out multiple perspectives and to critically analyze the information that I encountered and discovered. This approach proved invaluable. It was very enriching in my research and enhanced my understanding of everything that I took apart. It's still the method I use today and it's a big part of why I hope the content I present to you is both comprehensive and insightful. Now, number two I always try to keep in mind humility as a virtue. I wasn't always humble, but as I've gotten older, I have tried to learn humility. So there are some in fact, there are so many opinions in sorting through all of different research as you go about it, no matter what subject. That is why I think the Socratic method is so effective. Now you might be asking David great, but what in the world is the Socratic method? Well, that's funny you should ask because we have a beautifully written book by Ward Farnsworth called the Socratic method a practical handbook. He penned this fascinating book on this very subject. The Socratic method Dives deep into the intricacies and the applications and benefits, and Farnsworth explores not only the practical application that I've known, but he also goes about it in a little bit of a different way, a philosophical approach. I found that extremely rewarding as I read through this. In fact, let's take a deep dive into Farnsworth's book in classic mojo fashion. The Socratic method is a style of thought. It is a help toward intelligence and an antidote to stupidity. This has to be said right away, because many people consider the Socratic method, if they consider it at all, to be a technique for teaching. It is that. But the reason the Socratic method is useful in the classroom is that it's a style of thought better than one we tend to apply, naturally, to important things. Socrates didn't question people in order to teach us how to question people. He did it to teach us how to think. That is what makes his method a matter of general interest, not a device for specialists or special occasions. And there is our nugget of wisdom for today. Socrates did not question people in order to teach us how to question people. He did it to teach us how to think. Now, the Socratic method, obviously named after the classical Greek philosopher Socrates, is indeed often associated with academic environments, particularly in the fields of law and philosophy. However, it's uncertain whether this method is still widely employed in colleges today, with a shift towards more standardized and structured learning systems. The exploratory nature of the Socratic method, which encourages fine intellectual exploration rather than rote memorization, most likely is no longer taught in its purest forms. But let's not forget the potential of this method and fostering critical thinking, stimulating intellectual curiosity and promoting rigorous questioning skills that are of an immense value in our world right now. Beyond academia, academia is should be in heartening. In fact, it encourages individuals to question their own perspectives, to challenge their own biases and arrive at their own conclusions through healthy debate and discussions. So let's table taking a deeper dive into Farnsworth's book into our next mojo minute. But let's pivot back to the question that was asked of me early on how do I research some of my episodes? As an example, let's ask the question how we can become more informed about the Middle East conflict. That was what we tackled a week ago with the invasion of Hamas, or Hamas's invasion and absolute brutality attacking Israel. Well, first, I would say international news outlets, global news platforms like the Wall Street Journal or the Epoch Times, places where you have built some trust up. They often feature in depth articles about a certain situation. For instance, their coverage on the war between Israel and Hamas shed a lot of light on what exactly was going on. You will always need to question these big news outlets. They have many people writing for them. They have many editors with their own biases. For example, my trust in certain news outlets has lessened over time. Take, for example, the New York Times. It's important to remember that every news organization has its own biases and may present information to you through their own lens, and the New York Times is not infallible. No news organization is not infallible and it's always crucial to cross check information with other reliable sources. But the Socratic method for sure helped me early on to not trust the New York Times, because asking good questions of their coverage resulted in a lot of problems with it. Now, on a better note, some other things that I would recommend. In researching the Middle East conflict, there's academic resources. Websites like studycom and studiesmartercom offer comprehensive lessons on the history. They offer timelines and explanations and causes of certain Middle Eastern conflicts, subplots within other plots, think tanks and researches. Institutions are always good the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Council, our own Council of Foreign Relations. They conduct research. They publish in-depth analysis on global issues. You got to take some of that with a grain of salt, but it's a good, well-rounded analysis. Social media in today's day and age, you have to check it out. Everybody hates it, but it's the essential part of it. But it's the essential part of gathering information, especially the real-time updates. Twitter, which is now called X, they offer citizens reports. You get a ton of video flying around, so it sheds light on the ground, realities that are often overlooked by traditional media. Now you can't. One thing I should mention Social media is a tool, it's not a source. You have to use it wisely to gain perspective, but always question the information and keep in mind there's a potential for bias. Just like anybody in a news organization, there's bias there. So again back to that socratic method and using your social media investigation. You just can't be lazy in any of the areas. Some other places Experts and thought leaders you can use them. Figures who have dedicated extensive time towards studying and understanding and interpreting the situation in the Middle East will provide a wealth of knowledge that can supplant your own research. However and again it's crucial with all these things to remember that even the experts carry many personal biases. You got to be just have to keep that in mind. It's essential to apply the same critical thinking and questioning that we've been discussing to their insights and conclusions, especially as you're trying to gain a more truthful viewpoint. Online encyclopedia is Wikipedia, is the is probably the most popular. It has a dedicated website all to the Middle East conflict. You got a. It's a handy tool for initial research, to, kind of. If you are just completely new to a subject, that is good to check. But it's user edited, so meaning that the content may be influenced by many writers in their personal biases. So any information gleaned from that should be cooperated with other reliable sources. Now I will say this if you believe in the counterculture platforms, especially in the last 10, 5 to 10 years, the counterculture platform, such as Prager University, prager University, unlike traditional academic institutions, is a digital platform. It offers a different perspective on current events and societal issues. What I like it's in a world where there is extreme, radical views that often dominate the major media narrative, prager University offers an alternative perspective. Often it's conservative, sometimes it's libertarian, sometimes it's completely neutral, but people people will hate it or people will dislike it, rather, because it's neutral and they are so used to having their radical agenda being pushed. I think it's an invaluable resource. It helps. In fact, they have over 31 videos on the Middle East conflict and they all have a different source. It's all somebody telling you something from their perspective. I'm sure Prager helps them with the writing of the five minute videos, but those people are standing out putting their name on it, so I'm sure they have over editorial oversight on all those videos. Now, books, lastly but not least, we love books here at the Mojo Academy, whether it's print or digital, books continue to be the essential source of in depth information. They just offer the most comprehensive insights. You know they're much longer than shorter news articles, social media updates or academic papers. You can get seasoned scholars, journalists or even individuals who have experienced the conflict firsthand. They provide that firsthand account, the historical narrative and the expert analysis. Now you do want to check. Books can still be biased, but usually over the course of time, usually over the course of a book, those biases are much harder to camouflage. So for the quest of knowledge it's always a continuous journey. But I believe books are our most trustworthy companions along this path and obviously we at the Mojo Academy we take that thirst for knowledge and pursuit of understanding seriously. In fact, we heard your request loud and clear, that you would like some books reviewed in the Academy review on the Middle East conflict, and that decision perfectly aligns with our aim of providing those comprehensive, balanced and truthful resources and Academy reviews to aid your learning journey. So, number one in your journey to understand any subject in your research, the Socratic method is an invaluable tool. It has been for human beings for the last 2,500 years. So in today's mojo minute, by asking probing, thoughtful questions, you're going to challenge your assumptions, you're going to gain deeper insights. And, as an example, when you're reading an article about an issue, you might say what's the underlying causes of this conflict? How does the author's perspective influence this narrative? What are other credible sources saying about this event or this issue? You cannot hesitate to question the information you encounter. Does the piece of information seem biased? Does it tell the whole story? Just part of it? Is there a counter argument to it that is not being presented. So by engaging this type of critical thinking, which we will explore more with this book and other mojo minutes, you're not just passively consuming information, but you're actively seeking the truth, and that's important. So keep in mind, no matter what kind of research you're doing, the goal isn't just to ask questions, but to ask the right questions, those that open the door to a deeper understanding and gain a closer proximity to the truth. When you do, you're on the road to a flourishing life.