Socratic Design is an approach that combines “teoria” (the Greek word meaning: “way of looking at things”) and practice in an integral way. We usually have a theory and then apply the theory in concrete stuff. Theory and practice are then separated with a higher level reserved for theory.

In Socratic Design we follow the three dimensions of Aristoteles “teoria”, poesia and praxis: where poesis is the art of creating and praxis the art of doing and producing. We need to be aware that the world is based in and with these three dimensions. Our whole reality – even our economy – is based on assumptions or “teoria.”

We can change our way of looking at things only if we simultaneously change our way of making and doing. So, governance by law is the space by which we develop our reality. If our governance only changes the practice or the making, we come in conflict with our thinking. If we change our thoughts without changing the way we create and the way we produce, we will generate chaos and incoherent new conflicts. This happens when we piecemeal wise innovate.

In Socratic Design we develop a new narrative that integrates the three elements. But, we also practice the “teoria” in the method. So, there is no higher abstract gremium that bottoms down new policies and laws. We need collective intelligence at all levels, so; we can say goodbye to the old paradigms. As a tribe, we connect our embodied minds to visualize new horizons for an attractive future.

Because governance fundamentally deals with the underlying philosophical assumptions of everyman and all the world, we cannot leave the change to a few experts or a few law and political bodies. It is the collective intelligence of all that can avoid addictive thoughts; we create a collective intelligence by a disciplined dialogue of all with all.