You can catch me discussing and reading philosophy until I die. As the list of philosophies I love continues to grow here are a couple that have taken a permanent spot on my list.

The Socratic method. The Socratic method is one of the most effective tools for communication and discussion I’ve ever encountered. It’s a form of communication based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presumptions.

It is a dialectical method, which is basically a classy way of arguing. The Socratic method provides for a deeper discussion and defense of your views through questions. Often errors in logic and unintended implications are revealed resulting in a better argument.

Simone de Beauvoir existentialism. In The Ethics of Ambiguity, Simone developed an existentialist ethics that condemned the “spirit of seriousness” in which people too readily identify with certain abstractions at the expense of individual freedom and responsibility.

There’s a lot of parallelism in this philosophy with what is going on in our culture. People agree or disagree with popular opinions, without critical thought on their own, and lose individual liberties because of their quick ability to accept the theories of others.

The thinkers who’ve come before us have created valuable tools. Philosophy is just one tool which can help solve and navigate through modern day problems.