What I take from Socrates is the idea that the philosopher is a midwife of wisdom, someone who helps other people bring out what's already in them. He's also the namesake of Socratus, so I'm hardly a neutral party here.
How the word moved
In November 2014 I used him for the knowledge bearer, the Socratic midwife. By April 2024 I was reading reason itself as Socrates's new technology - he took a fresh tool and pointed it at truth seeking - and asking whether computing could be that for us. In October 2026 the point got practical. The midwife needs somewhere to work.
In my words
"Socrates thought his role was to be the midwife of wisdom."
from Newsletter 18: The Society of Knowledge, 29 Nov 2014
Related
- Related practical philosopher - The practical philosopher is my name for the midwife's job today.
- Related Wystem - The Wystem tries to repurpose our technology for truth seeking, the way he did with reason.
- Related infrastructure for agency - It's the place where the midwife gets to work.
- Related collective wisdom - Midwifing is how I think a group evokes its wisdom.