Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who lived in Athens around the 5th century BC. He is widely regarded as the father of Western philosophy and ethics.
He left no written works, but inspired many disciples, including Plato and Xenophon. Socrates had a strong reputation for wisdom and believed that dialogue was superior to writing. As a result, he spent most of his life in the markets and public squares of Athens, engaging in conversations and debates.
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One of his most important contributions is the Socratic method. This method is a way of guiding logical and productive conversations through a series of questions designed to stimulate critical thinking and uncover underlying ideas and assumptions.
One day, someone came to the great philosopher and said:
“Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”
“Wait a moment,” Socrates replied. “Before you tell me, I would like to give you a test — the test of the three filters.”
“The three filters?”
“Yes,” Socrates continued. “Before telling something about others, it is good to take time to filter what you are about to say. I call it the test of the three filters.”
The First Filter: Truth
“Have you verified that what you are about to tell me is true?”
“No… I just heard it…”
“Very well. Then you don’t know if it is true. Let’s move to the second filter.”
The Second Filter: Goodness
“Is what you want to tell me about my friend something good?”
“Oh no! On the contrary!”
“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, and you are not even sure it is true.”
“Don’t worry, you may still pass the third filter.”
The Third Filter: Usefulness
“Is it useful for me to know what you are about to tell me?”
“Not really.”
“Then,” concluded Socrates, “what you wanted to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor useful. Why should I want to know it?”
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