• 1.4: The Socratic Method

    • Plato's Apology

      Read the Apology. This work deals with Socrates's reasoned self-defense when he is falsely charged with crimes against the state.

      Study Guide Questions:

      1. How would you describe the Socratic Method? Think about what Plato demonstrates with the argument between Aristophanes and Socrates. Note that Aristophanes represents past and present poets of Socrates's era and is thus oracular in nature, whereas Socrates is conversational, meaning dialectical.
      2. Consider Socrates's poverty in the context of virtue. In The Apology, Plato describes Socrates' poverty as a sort of "proof" that he was not a paid teacher - that he was only living his life in response to the proclamation by the Delphic Oracle that no one was as wise as Socrates. Is this convincing, and how so?

    • 1.4.1: Socrates Asks to Be Judged on the Truth

      • Yale University: Steven Smith's "Socratic Citizenship: Plato's Apology" Page

        Watch this lecture. As you watch, remember that in the Apology, Socrates faces a trial not only in a court of law, but also in the court of public opinion. Socrates makes his case both to the masses and to the judicial, civil, and political establishment. He knows that his argument is probably the last of his life, and thus he seeks to spur further dialogue among his fellow Athenians. Pause as needed to take notes.

    • 1.4.2: Poetry and Philosophy

      • As you might recall, Socrates mentions a "writer of comedies" in reference to the playwright Aristophanes. Throughout Plato's dialogues, and most thoroughly in Book X of the Republic, Plato addresses what he calls the long-running quarrel between philosophy and poetry (and the arts in general, including that of rhetoric). It could be said Aristophanes represents poets of the past (or Socrates's present) and is one of Socrates's foremost critics for his emphasis on the primacy of philosophy. Poets, on the other hand (and only in their best light, according to Socrates), are oracular in nature, meaning they serve as a kind of channel or link between the gods and the masses. This contrasts with Socrates's conversational, or dialectical, method, which emphasizes argumentation based in reason to arrive at truth and to what makes for a good individual, citizen, and society.

      • Poetry and Philosophy URL

        Read this article.

      • The Socratic Method: Short Answer Question URL

        As you now understand, the classic Socratic Method involves dismantling prior ideas in order to free the mind of preconceived notions. By definition, this method deconstructs all prior thoughts on a topic and leaves the learner without a satisfactory answer to the primary question. Examining how the Socratic Method is used in contemporary society - particularly by teachers, legal scholars, and medical practitioners - will help you understand this approach to teaching and learning.

        Write a short paragraph explaining why you believe these professions are more inclined to use the Socratic Method of instruction. Feel free to also share your thoughts on the discussion forum.