Ernst and Falk: Dialogues for Freemasons

Ernst.

And yet you express yourself so hesitantly? — "I believe I am one!"

Falk.

I have grown quite accustomed to this way of speaking. It is not because I lack my own conviction, but rather because I do not like to stand directly in anyone's path. Falk’s pedagogical style is rooted in the Enlightenment ideal of "Socratic irony." He avoids dogmatic statements to encourage his companion to think for himself rather than simply accepting authority.

Ernst.

You answer me as you would a stranger.

Falk.

Stranger or friend!

Ernst.

You have been admitted original: "aufgenommen" — This refers back to the previous page's discussion about being formally initiated into a Masonic lodge.; you know everything— —