A Socratic Approach to History

Socrates, the father of Western philosophy, challenged his students with a simple command: “Know thyself.” He developed a reputation as a wise teacher by asking questions that forced people to examine their own beliefs. Today, this practice is known as the Socratic Method, and it forms the core of our classical approach to history.

Take a moment to think of some of your most fundamental beliefs. Did you create them out of thin air?

Not likely. Instead, you probably learned them from your parents, from great books, from religious teachers, from culture — in a word, from history.

History is not just a series of events that students must memorize to pass a test. Rather, the voice of the self is history, speaking in the present.

This is why the study of history is not merely an academic exercise. It is a discipline that leads to self-knowledge and, with time, to wisdom. ​

David's Death of Socrates

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