What is the Socratic method?
In recent years there has been an increased interest in the great books approach to education. Nowhere is this approach more realized than at schools such as St. John’s College and Thomas Aquinas College. As four year, great books programs, both of these schools focus exclusively on the original texts of the greatest writings in the history of the Western world. After reading these works, students and tutors engage in Socratic discussion groups so as to bring out the rich meaning to be found there.
The Socratic Method is one of the oldest and most powerful approaches to teaching and developing critical thinking skills. By removing pretenses of certainty, the method aims to provoke a deeper understanding of any subject matter. Basically, you must question everything; leave no possibility untouched. The Socratic Method is named for Socrates, a philosopher who lived in Athens around 470 B.C. Socrates gained fame for frequently engaging others in conversations that attempted to define broad ideas such as beauty, virtue, justice, courage, temperance and friendship by discussing their ambiguities and complexities. During his conversations, Socrates placed himself in the position of student, forcing his respondents to act in the role of teacher. However, since many believed Socrates to have a greater understanding of the subjects discussed, his reversal of roles became known as Socratic Irony. While the Socratic Method can be effectively used in guiding others toward a better understand
It involves engaging your students in a critical dialogue. Rather than presenting material in a cut-and-dry fashion, the teacher throws out a question and elicits student-response. A student might propose an answer, which the teacher scrutinizes with extreme criticalness. The teacher then-and-there exposes the flaws of the proposed answer, effectively demonstrating its inadequacy as a solution to the question posed. Reflecting on the criticism, the student attempts another try, seeking to overcome the pointed out difficulty. Often, the student will fair no better the second time than on the first. The teacher will once again come around and lay bare the suggested answer for the failure it is. The student’s confidence sinks; and at just that moment, another student is raising a hand, seeking the teacher’s recognition. The teacher yields to this second student, who immediately proceeds to venture a solution of his own. His tack is entirely different from that of his predecessor but, from
I guess when you let someone else bring up the subject first, knowing full well that person will talk about. (I don’t know if that’s a good explanation). This method is being used when the criminal is interrogated, you want to know if he/she will answer what you have anticipated. Sorry if I didn’t make any sense.
