#6 - Michael Strong: socratic experience and the future of education

Michael Strong is an educational entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of several ventures focused on liberating human potential — including the Academy of Thought and Industry and The Socratic Experience. He writes about innovation in education, startup cities, and moral development, follow Michael on Twitter

We talk about how schooling shapes society, what freedom means in practice, and why creating better institutional environments matters more than reforming broken ones. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

02:51 – The moral vision behind Socratic dialogue

05:42 – School as an obedience-training system

08:33 – The pain and purpose of adolescent development

11:24 – Why most schools kill intrinsic motivation

14:15 – Reimagining schools through freedom and trust

17:06 – Human capital and educational entrepreneurship

19:57 – Startup cities as moral ecosystems

22:48 – The importance of good rules vs lots of rules

25:39 – Why real liberty includes responsibility

28:30 – Institutions that align with human flourishing

31:21 – Virtue ethics, Aristotle, and thriving students

34:12 – How to scale good ideas without bureaucracy

37:03 – The future of self-directed learning

39:54 – Unschooling, discipline, and long-term outcomes

42:45 – Building a moral culture without coercion

45:36 – School as simulation vs engagement with reality

48:27 – The spiritual dimension of creative work

51:18 – Final thoughts on education, meaning, and freedom

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