40 Philosophy Now ●^ August/September 2019
to be? Their methods help us to become a better version of our-
selves and to build a home – physical or intellectual – that makes
us and the people around us happy.
Clutter is often a source of tension. When you cannot find
your belt in the morning and blame it on your spouse, your day
starts with an argument. Similarly, a political debate about a con-
troversial topic such as immigration is likely to turn hostile if the
debaters have cluttered thinking about it and are unwilling to
abandon any of their beliefs. It is not surprising that many of
Marie Kondo’s clients have reported that their lives have become
more harmonious after they KonMari’ed their homes. As for the
harmonious effect of an uncluttered mind, just look at Socrates
in his last hours before his execution: Plato describes him as
unconcerned about his impending death. What kept Socrates at
peace is precisely that he had let go of the belief that death is bad.
But, a skeptic might wonder, what about items or beliefs that
I’ve inherited from someone dear to me? Shouldn’t I keep the scarf
my grandma gave me for my birthday, even though it’s really not
my style? Here, Marie Kondo’s advice is to give the present a chance.
Wear the scarf at least once; but if it doesn’t spark joy, let go of it.
Socrates is likely to agree. If your grandma used to tell you that eat-
ing bread and butter with every meal will give you extra energy and
stamina, give it a shot. Treat this belief as a hypothesis; but if you
can’t defend it, let it go. We can remember and cherish our loved
ones without holding on to unwanted inherited items or beliefs.
Our life-coaching dream team Kondo/Socrates leave Thrasy-
machus with one more piece of advice for the future: tidy regu-
larly! Get into a habit of examining both your beliefs and posses-
sions. That way, you will live a happier, more harmonious life.
© DR FREYA MOBUS 2019
Freya Mobus is an Assistant Professor in Philosophy at Loyola
University, Chicago. She received her PhD from Cornell University.L
et me present to you the ultimate life-coaching team:
Marie Kondo and Socrates. Marie Kondo, the mod-
ern Japanese consultant devoted to uncluttering our
households; Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher
devoted to uncluttering our minds. If we open ourselves to their
methods of tidying up, we will live a happier life, they promise.
Kondo’s ‘KonMari’ method, presented in her Netflix show
based on her bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
(2014), and Socrates’ ‘Elenchus’ method, presented in Plato’s
dialogues starring him, work in similar ways, although Kondo
is much more popular with her clients. (Eventually, the Athe-
nians got so sick of Socrates’ attempts at tidying up their minds
that they executed him.)
Let’s take as our life-coaching client a character from Plato’s
Republic– Thrasymachus, who claims that only weak simpletons
believe that being moral is good. Let’s assume that in addition
to his cluttered mind, Thrasymachus also has a cluttered home- for he who is untidy in one area of life is likely to be untidy in
another. Our life-coaching team of Kondo/Socrates gets to work.
First, let’s tidy up Thrasymachus’ house according to the Kon-
Mari method. Focus on one category; for example, clothes: get
all your clothes together and take stock. Seeing the big pile of
togas, tunics, and sandals, Thrasymachus realizes that he has too
many. But which items should he get rid of? Marie Kondo’s advice:
pick something you feel strongly about – something you defi-
nitely do (or do not) want to keep, and move on from there. Go
through each item one by one and ask yourself: does this item
make me happy? If not, get rid of it. Only keep things that ‘spark
joy’. When you’re done, store your clothes in such a way that you
can remember where they are and access them more easily in the
future (fold them nicely and store them in designated boxes).
Now let’s tidy up Thrasymachus’ mind according to Socrates’
Elenchusmethod. Focus on one question; for example, ‘What is
morality?’ Next, get all your beliefs about morality out into the
open. Once Thrasymachus has taken stock of his beliefs, he real-
izes that some of them are incompatible. For instance, he believes
that when I act morally, I benefit someone else; and he also
believes that when I act morally, I may not benefit someone else.
So he has to get rid of some beliefs. But which ones? Socrates’
advice: pick a belief you feel very strongly about – one you can
defend best – and hold on to that. Then go through each belief
one by one and ask yourself: why do I hold this belief? Only
hold on to beliefs you can defend. When you’re done, store your
beliefs in such a way that you can access them more easily in the
future. You can do this by, for example, connecting each belief
with an explanation or reason for why you hold it, and so build
a network of beliefs. As Socrates says, ‘Tie your beliefs down’.
Kondo’s KonMari method and the Socratic Elenchus both
inspire self-reflection. During the process of uncluttering, you
are encouraged to envision your future self. Which items/beliefs
do you want to bring into your future life? Who do you want
Tidying Up With Socrates
Freya Mobus compares Socrates’ method of enquiry
with a fashionable way to achieve domestic harmony.
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