From Darkness to Light

Socrates, Plato’s master, taught his disciple the very art of Maieutics, which Plato later knew how to use to best effect in his philosophical dialogues. Few people nowadays tend to remember that maieutiké in ancient Greek literally means “midwifery”. Indeed, this method, in Socrates’ intentions, was intended to embody an action similar to that of the midwife. That’s why he did not pretend to teach anything, let alone put truths into people’s minds. He meant, if anything, to lead people to bring forth truths out of their minds. He did not launch redemptive programs and did not pretend to drag along hordes of followers, for he was aware that Knowledge can only emerge from deep within ourselves, from the recesses of our soul. Maieutics, through dialogue and confrontation, simply directs the interlocutor’s thinking until they extrapolate truth from within themselves, “giving birth” to it, indeed. This, as the great Parmenides taught us, can be possible by activating nóos, intuition, which is the true magic word with which we should all equip ourselves.In the vast majority of human beings, obfuscated by millennia of counter-initiatory slavery, the mere thought of an ascent into the higher world leads to serious misunderstanding, when not outright fright and dismay, because after all, they feel happy and have the illusion of being protected in the daily darkness of their cave, while their eyes are deceived by vague shadows that the “guardians” cast on the white wall of their minds. It is much easier, indeed, not to ask questions and live with delusional serenity in their daily Matrix.