What is the Socratic method?

The Socratic method is a form of argumentative dialogue where a speaker uses targeted questions and clarifications to probe a partner's beliefs. This process pushes the conversation partner to examine their own reasoning, test for internal consistency, and either arrive at a conclusion or admit ignorance. Historically associated with the philosopher Socrates through accounts by Plato and other writers, it is also known as elenchus or the maieutic method.

What we know

• The Socratic method is an argumentative dialogue where an individual uses questions to press a partner toward a conclusion or admission of ignorance, sometimes equated with elenchus. [1, 2]
• Socrates described his method as a form of midwifery, or maieutic, designed to help interlocutors develop and birth their understanding. [1]
• The questioning process starts with commonly held beliefs to test their internal consistency and coherence with other beliefs. [1]
• The Platonic dialogues demonstrate this approach in areas of philosophy including epistemology and ethics, often leaving participants at an impasse. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Socrates?
• how we knowWhat is the Socratic problem?
• the bigger pictureHow does moral intellectualism relate to Socrates?
• what followedHow is the Socratic method used in modern education?
• a case in pointWhat are Platonic dialogues?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a method of questioning connect to the Italian Renaissance?Socrates and his interactive question-and-answer style were studied by medieval and Islamic scholars before playing an important role in the humanist movement of the Italian Renaissance.

Sources

• [1]Socratic method · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [2]Socrates · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Socratic problem · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Moral intellectualism · CC BY-SA 4.0