I could have kept asking Socratic questions all day.
Here's one that just popped in my mind: Have you ever come to admire a person you once thought was completely wrong about something? If so, you probably asked yourself some questions you hadn't asked before .... or later facts proved to you that said person was right - and brave - for asking their questions at the time.
For example, I bet many people detested Muhammad Ali at one time for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War. Many of these people later came to admire Ali for making his political/philosophical stand, a position which literally cost him a great deal of money and caused him to be very unpopular in some circles.
But "the narrative" on that war later changed and so people's opinion of Ali changed. Let's hope the same thing happens in reverse with, say, the historic legacy of someone like Anthony Fauci.
Great read - brain food which also will help me frame future questions. As I posted at your site, I think I've been using all of these questions most of my life without being aware of what I was doing.
The Socratic Method could save the world ... if more people used it.
Nov 22, 2023·edited Nov 22, 2023Liked by Bill Rice, Jr.
Many times. Especially since 2020. When my mind became open to question many beliefs I once held.
Like about Russell Means. I believed he was a radical American Indian Movement terrorist from the 1970's. Until I read him in his own words. And found him to be a much different figure than what I had been taught to believe about him.
This speech of his was published by Mother Jones in 1980. Very illuminating. Question. Everything. You think you know:
A Stack I wrote with my commentary and background accompanying selected excerpts from his speech. I encourage readers to read the Mother Jones link first, develop your own relationship with his words. Then my Stack, compare notes:
Is it possible one reason powerful figures don't want Question A asked is because if it was "allowed" to be asked it might lead to Questions B, C and D - which might be even more of a threat to the status of our rulers?
Nov 22, 2023·edited Nov 23, 2023Liked by Bill Rice, Jr.
Building on Socrates and a contemporary of Galileo is Rene Descartes. A formidable philosopher himself, mathematician, scientist. Often credited with being the father of the scientific *method*. Questioning everything. Applying reason. A leading figure in the Age of Reason:
What I find to be a very interesting coincidence in studying this large but often underappreciated historical figure is the year of his famous dream, 1619:
Many readers are familiar with that year because of the work pushed by Marxists and highlighted by the New York Times as essential historical reading, The 1619 Project, claiming the first slave ship reached the Americas then, resulting in the true birthdate of the United States:
The Marxist movements I'm familiar with are infatuated with the power of symbols, symbolism. And will choose symbols, dates for larger, unspoken reasons, only known by insiders with their grand agendas to remake man and history to serve their agenda. And as we are living through a Marxist revolutionary attempt to control the world it would seem plausible to suspect that they are equating the Age of Reason, the birth of modern philosophy and the scientific method that questions everything authority asserts as truth with slavery, rather than freedom; an Orwellian Freedom is Slavery pitch. The Marxist/Authoritarian assaults on reason, science, common sense and knowledge can only serve the purpose of a return to a Pre-Enlightenment Age, when the noble elite monarchs and church dictated to an obedient world how to live. Plausible?
Thanks, Freedom Fox. Very interesting. I need to brush up on my Descartes. He should be a more "historic" figure than he already is. He'd definitely be banned today too.
Thank you very much, Nancy. I liked this one too! I use the Socratic Method in every piece I write. I come up with questions - hopefully original ones - and then try to answer them as best I can.
Nov 22, 2023·edited Nov 22, 2023Liked by Bill Rice, Jr.
Don't worry Bill. Here in Canada the Deputy Prime Minister just announced that the captured Liberal MainStream Media will not only get an extension of the federal MSM subsidy bail out package until the next election but the bribes will be even richer as they have been doubled. Here is the official announcement courtesy of Blacklock's reporter:
Press Gets More Pre-Vote Aid
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is doubling pre-election federal aid for publishers approved by the Liberal cabinet. Freeland in a Fall Economic Statement yesterday said payroll rebates originally promised to expire in 2024 are now extended past the next election at almost $30,000 a year per newsroom employee: 'This is to ensure a strong and independent press can continue to thrive.'
Oh my Gosh. Thanks for education us on this, Fred. That's the only way the mainstream media can survive today ... since they abandoned the Socratic Method.
Great article illustrates the danger of the State showing how Socrates was a threat to the state by telling the truth. Confirms what Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels said by turning words into a weapon of mass destruction, “The Big Lie Theory.”
“IF you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the state can shield the people from the political, economic, and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the state to use all its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus, by extension, the truth is the state’s greatest enemy.”
Nothing but truth can come from questions, even the most basic -- maybe especially the most basic. I taught this method for 15 years and my high school students saw the beauty of it.
Excellent post Bill, and I agree fully. Powerful people, by natural inclination, want to protect the narrative of their choice. Just look at what happened to debating process after Ross Perot turned the Republican Party on its head back in the 1980's. Access to the debates is tightly controlled, and even if you have jumped through all the hurdles and have won the right to be included on the ballot nationwide you are not guaranteed a voice. The American two-party system is a great example of political control.
Thanks for the heads-up, Michael. And thanks to Peak Prosperity. I'm going to go check it out. IMO The key to our resistance efforts is to share good stories with more people. I'm always flattered and grateful when someone else thinks one of my articles is worth a link.
I could have kept asking Socratic questions all day.
Here's one that just popped in my mind: Have you ever come to admire a person you once thought was completely wrong about something? If so, you probably asked yourself some questions you hadn't asked before .... or later facts proved to you that said person was right - and brave - for asking their questions at the time.
For example, I bet many people detested Muhammad Ali at one time for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War. Many of these people later came to admire Ali for making his political/philosophical stand, a position which literally cost him a great deal of money and caused him to be very unpopular in some circles.
But "the narrative" on that war later changed and so people's opinion of Ali changed. Let's hope the same thing happens in reverse with, say, the historic legacy of someone like Anthony Fauci.
My man! I JUST put out an article on "Socratic Questioning": https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/critical-thinking-and-action-taking-f95
Great minds think alike!
Great read - brain food which also will help me frame future questions. As I posted at your site, I think I've been using all of these questions most of my life without being aware of what I was doing.
The Socratic Method could save the world ... if more people used it.
Just unlocked it as well so it could be read in its entirety
You unblocked it just when I came to the guardrail after Technique No. 2. Thanks! Highly recommended read.
Many times. Especially since 2020. When my mind became open to question many beliefs I once held.
Like about Russell Means. I believed he was a radical American Indian Movement terrorist from the 1970's. Until I read him in his own words. And found him to be a much different figure than what I had been taught to believe about him.
This speech of his was published by Mother Jones in 1980. Very illuminating. Question. Everything. You think you know:
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/10/russell-means-mother-jones-interview-1980/
A Stack I wrote with my commentary and background accompanying selected excerpts from his speech. I encourage readers to read the Mother Jones link first, develop your own relationship with his words. Then my Stack, compare notes:
https://freedomfox.substack.com/p/teaching-an-old-fox-new-tricks
Is it possible one reason powerful figures don't want Question A asked is because if it was "allowed" to be asked it might lead to Questions B, C and D - which might be even more of a threat to the status of our rulers?
Building on Socrates and a contemporary of Galileo is Rene Descartes. A formidable philosopher himself, mathematician, scientist. Often credited with being the father of the scientific *method*. Questioning everything. Applying reason. A leading figure in the Age of Reason:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rene-Descartes
Aka, the Age of Enlightenment:
https://web.archive.org/web/20191227203519/https://psy-minds.com/age-of-enlightenment/
The Father of Modern Philosophy:
https://iep.utm.edu/rene-descartes/
Analytic Geometry and higher math:
https://www.britannica.com/science/geometry/Cartesian-geometry
Always searching for truth:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150529012136/https://westernciv2.umwblogs.org/2010/11/16/descartes-and-the-scientific-revolution
What I find to be a very interesting coincidence in studying this large but often underappreciated historical figure is the year of his famous dream, 1619:
https://physics.weber.edu/carroll/honors/descarte.htm
Many readers are familiar with that year because of the work pushed by Marxists and highlighted by the New York Times as essential historical reading, The 1619 Project, claiming the first slave ship reached the Americas then, resulting in the true birthdate of the United States:
https://reason.com/2022/03/29/the-1619-project-unrepentantly-pushes-junk-history/
The Marxist movements I'm familiar with are infatuated with the power of symbols, symbolism. And will choose symbols, dates for larger, unspoken reasons, only known by insiders with their grand agendas to remake man and history to serve their agenda. And as we are living through a Marxist revolutionary attempt to control the world it would seem plausible to suspect that they are equating the Age of Reason, the birth of modern philosophy and the scientific method that questions everything authority asserts as truth with slavery, rather than freedom; an Orwellian Freedom is Slavery pitch. The Marxist/Authoritarian assaults on reason, science, common sense and knowledge can only serve the purpose of a return to a Pre-Enlightenment Age, when the noble elite monarchs and church dictated to an obedient world how to live. Plausible?
Thanks, Freedom Fox. Very interesting. I need to brush up on my Descartes. He should be a more "historic" figure than he already is. He'd definitely be banned today too.
2000 years later and the world has learned nothing
Bill, This is one of your best pieces. Kudos! Spreading it around...perhaps someone else will subscribe!
Thank you, Dr. K. Here's some questions Socrates probably wouldn't have asked, but I will:
Should I share Bill Rice's articles?
If I did, would more people be exposed to his questions?
Would this perhaps get Bill more subscribers?
Or: Would this perhaps put more of a target on Bill's back?
Would Bill Rice appreciate the spreading of his articles?
Answer: He would, he would, he would!
... Are the censors likely trying to limit the "reach" of Bill Rice's articles?
I agree with the poster who said this is one of your best; I would argue that it IS your best. I will definitely be sharing this one.
Thank you very much, Nancy. I liked this one too! I use the Socratic Method in every piece I write. I come up with questions - hopefully original ones - and then try to answer them as best I can.
Don't worry Bill. Here in Canada the Deputy Prime Minister just announced that the captured Liberal MainStream Media will not only get an extension of the federal MSM subsidy bail out package until the next election but the bribes will be even richer as they have been doubled. Here is the official announcement courtesy of Blacklock's reporter:
Press Gets More Pre-Vote Aid
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is doubling pre-election federal aid for publishers approved by the Liberal cabinet. Freeland in a Fall Economic Statement yesterday said payroll rebates originally promised to expire in 2024 are now extended past the next election at almost $30,000 a year per newsroom employee: 'This is to ensure a strong and independent press can continue to thrive.'
Oh my Gosh. Thanks for education us on this, Fred. That's the only way the mainstream media can survive today ... since they abandoned the Socratic Method.
Great article illustrates the danger of the State showing how Socrates was a threat to the state by telling the truth. Confirms what Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels said by turning words into a weapon of mass destruction, “The Big Lie Theory.”
“IF you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the state can shield the people from the political, economic, and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the state to use all its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus, by extension, the truth is the state’s greatest enemy.”
Nothing but truth can come from questions, even the most basic -- maybe especially the most basic. I taught this method for 15 years and my high school students saw the beauty of it.
Good one, Bill.
Excellent post Bill, and I agree fully. Powerful people, by natural inclination, want to protect the narrative of their choice. Just look at what happened to debating process after Ross Perot turned the Republican Party on its head back in the 1980's. Access to the debates is tightly controlled, and even if you have jumped through all the hurdles and have won the right to be included on the ballot nationwide you are not guaranteed a voice. The American two-party system is a great example of political control.
Great work, Bill! Saving this one.
Socrates, I mean Bill--this article was linked in today's Peak Prosperity. Thank you
Thanks for the heads-up, Michael. And thanks to Peak Prosperity. I'm going to go check it out. IMO The key to our resistance efforts is to share good stories with more people. I'm always flattered and grateful when someone else thinks one of my articles is worth a link.
My Thanksgiving message from Australia to your readers: https://vicparkpetition.substack.com/p/a-proclamation-of-thanksgiving-from
Thanks again, Bill. Great piece and keep speaking.
Absolutely top-notch article Bill. Thank you.
Yes, I could ask some very difficult questions.
No, I will not ask them because I do not want you to come to harm.
Happy thanksgiving - I will have an article on this out today.
Why are almost all of the government emails redacted, if the US is a government of the people, by the people, for the people?
This is beautiful. Thank you. 🙏❤🌹