The Scottish Rite degrees are designed to explore different world philosophies, ancient religions, and systems of ethics. Through all of these avenues, people have tried to uncover certain universal mysteries. The Degrees of the Rite do not tell a Mason what he should think about these enigmas. Instead, they instruct him on what great thinkers and civilizations of the past have thought and create an ideal situation to gain insight. Agreeing with Socrates that the unexamined life is not worth living, the Rite supports this self-examination by providing reference points.