Socratic Questioning
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Who was Socrates?
Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in Athens from about 470 BC to
399 BC. He is considered one of the founders of Western philosophy and is famous for
his pioneering method of philosophical inquiry known as the Socratic method.
Here are some key points about how Socrates developed his method of questioning:
1. Socrates did not record any of his teachings directly. We know of his methods
primarily through the writings of his students, like Plato.
2. He engaged in dialogues and discussions with his fellow Athenians in the public
forum and marketplace.
3. His questioning involved asking seemingly naive questions to elicit his opponent's
views. He would then poke holes in their logic by asking more questions that
revealed contradictions or inconsistencies in their thinking.
4. The Socratic method involved clarification questions to unravel definitions,
probing assumptions, analyzing logical reasoning, and testing examples to derive
general principles.
5. By showing errors and gaps in people's thinking, he believed philosophical inquiry
could gradually overcome misunderstandings and lead to moral truths.
What is Socratic Questioning?
Socratic questioning is a form of disciplined questioning that can be used to examine
ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. It aims to stimulate critical thinking, get to truths, and
illuminate ideas.
Types of Socratic Questioning:
Clarification Questions:
1. What do you mean by _____?
2. Could you explain that further?
3. Could you provide an example?
4. What is the key idea here?
5. How does _____ relate to _____?
6. Is there another way to say this?
7. Could you rephrase that?
8. What factors make this a complex issue?
9. What assumptions are you making here?
10. How does this connect with our discussion so far?
Probing Assumptions:
1. What is _____ based on?
2. Why have you made this assumption?
3. How can we verify or test that assumption?
4. What would happen if _____ assumption was not true?
5. Do you have any evidence that supports this assumption?
6. Could there be an alternative explanation?
7. What are you implying when you say _____?
8. What do we take for granted here?
9. Is this always the case? What are exceptions?
10. How can you justify taking this assumption for granted?
Questions About the Question:
1. What was the point of asking that question?
2. What does this question assume?
3. How does this question relate to the issue?
4. Is this the right question to be asking?
5. Does this question miss anything important?
6. What other questions could we ask?
7. If this question was answered, what else would we need to know?
8. Who benefits from asking this question? Who is disadvantaged?
9. What more information do we need to answer this effectively?
10. What premises underlie this type of question?
Questions About Viewpoints:
1. What is the viewpoint here?
2. Why do you see things this way?
3. What led you to hold this point of view?
4. How would other groups/types of people see this differently?
5. How might this look from an opposing perspective?
6. What would someone who disagrees say?
7. What interests, values, or biases underlie this viewpoint?
8. What assumptions has this viewpoint overlooked?
9. What are the limitations of this perspective?
10. What advantages does this point of view provide?
Probing Reasons and Evidence:
1. What evidence supports that?
2. Why do you think this to be true?
3. What led you to that conclusion?
4. What are potential weaknesses in that reasoning?
5. How does that apply to this situation?
6. What facts contradict that line of thinking?
7. What more proof can you provide?
8. By what reasoning did you come to that conclusion?
9. What assumptions underlie that perspective?
10. What alternative conclusions could we draw from the evidence?
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