{"id":2631,"date":"2022-03-29T19:37:16","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T19:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/chapter\/1-3-the-socratic-method-2\/"},"modified":"2024-01-15T16:47:32","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T16:47:32","slug":"1-3-the-socratic-method-2","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/chapter\/1-3-the-socratic-method-2\/","title":{"raw":"1.3 The Socratic Method","rendered":"1.3 The Socratic Method"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<strong>LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nBy the end of this section you will discover:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>How Socrates employed his Socratic method of philosophical dialogue.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Some of the key philosophical topics covered by Plato's dialouges.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Socrates believed that philosophy was about more than devising clever arguments that would help speakers persuade their audiences. Philosophy was about using questions to draw closer to the truth. Socrates employed what has come to be known as The Socratic Method.\u00a0 A reading of many of Plato\u2019s dialogues shows us that Socrates often followed a consistent rhetorical method when leading his fellow citizens into an argument.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"import-NoSpacing\">First, he would gradually steer a conversation toward a specific philosophical idea or term, such as \u201ctruth\u201d or \u201cjustice\u201d or \u201cpiety.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Second, he would profess his ignorance about that term or idea and ask the opponent for a definition of the term.<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Next, when the opponent offered a definition, he would then begin to ask questions about that definition until the opponent admitted it was insufficient and offered a re-definition.<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Once the opponent offered a new definition, Socrates would continue to apply questions to analyze and redefine the term.<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Ultimately, in many dialogues, the opponent has to admit his ignorance and concede the debate to Socrates.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<h2 class=\"textbox__title\">Taking it to the streets...<\/h2>\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nTry this with some friends:\r\n\r\nChoose a topic like Life or Beauty or God and engage your friends by merely asking questions. Get them to define their terms. Resist the temptation to give answers. Instead, keep asking questions in response to your friends\u2019 claims. See how far you can extend the conversation. Note your friend\u2019s reactions.\r\n\r\nDoes anyone become frustrated? Does anyone enjoy the conversation? Does anyone feel listened to? Does the experience bring you closer?\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Obviously, after a lifetime of such public engagements, it is easy to see why Socrates would make some enemies. Eventually, the citizens of Athens charged him with the crimes of corrupting the youth and teaching false gods. It is worthwhile to explore next his self-defense at this trial found in the dialogue <em>The Apology<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<h2 class=\"textbox__title\">Key Philosophical Ideas in Some of Plato\u2019s Dialogues<\/h2>\r\n<\/header>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The<em> Republic<\/em>: Justice<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The<em> Charmenides<\/em>: Temperance<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The <em>Crito<\/em>: Obedience to the Law<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The <em>Euthyphro<\/em>: Piety\/Goodness<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The<em> Laches<\/em>: Virtue<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The <em>Phaedo<\/em>: the Human Soul<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p><strong>LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>By the end of this section you will discover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How Socrates employed his Socratic method of philosophical dialogue.<\/li>\n<li>Some of the key philosophical topics covered by Plato&#8217;s dialouges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Socrates believed that philosophy was about more than devising clever arguments that would help speakers persuade their audiences. Philosophy was about using questions to draw closer to the truth. Socrates employed what has come to be known as The Socratic Method.\u00a0 A reading of many of Plato\u2019s dialogues shows us that Socrates often followed a consistent rhetorical method when leading his fellow citizens into an argument.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"import-NoSpacing\">First, he would gradually steer a conversation toward a specific philosophical idea or term, such as \u201ctruth\u201d or \u201cjustice\u201d or \u201cpiety.\u201d<\/li>\n<li class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Second, he would profess his ignorance about that term or idea and ask the opponent for a definition of the term.<\/li>\n<li class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Next, when the opponent offered a definition, he would then begin to ask questions about that definition until the opponent admitted it was insufficient and offered a re-definition.<\/li>\n<li class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Once the opponent offered a new definition, Socrates would continue to apply questions to analyze and redefine the term.<\/li>\n<li class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Ultimately, in many dialogues, the opponent has to admit his ignorance and concede the debate to Socrates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h2 class=\"textbox__title\">Taking it to the streets&#8230;<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Try this with some friends:<\/p>\n<p>Choose a topic like Life or Beauty or God and engage your friends by merely asking questions. Get them to define their terms. Resist the temptation to give answers. Instead, keep asking questions in response to your friends\u2019 claims. See how far you can extend the conversation. Note your friend\u2019s reactions.<\/p>\n<p>Does anyone become frustrated? Does anyone enjoy the conversation? Does anyone feel listened to? Does the experience bring you closer?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"import-NoSpacing\">Obviously, after a lifetime of such public engagements, it is easy to see why Socrates would make some enemies. Eventually, the citizens of Athens charged him with the crimes of corrupting the youth and teaching false gods. It is worthwhile to explore next his self-defense at this trial found in the dialogue <em>The Apology<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h2 class=\"textbox__title\">Key Philosophical Ideas in Some of Plato\u2019s Dialogues<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The<em> Republic<\/em>: Justice<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The<em> Charmenides<\/em>: Temperance<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The <em>Crito<\/em>: Obedience to the Law<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The <em>Euthyphro<\/em>: Piety\/Goodness<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The<em> Laches<\/em>: Virtue<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">The <em>Phaedo<\/em>: the Human Soul<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":101,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":"cc-by-nc"},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[62,63],"license":[55],"class_list":["post-2631","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless","contributor-daniel-g-shaw","contributor-ph-d","license-cc-by-nc"],"part":2623,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2888,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2631\/revisions\/2888"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/2623"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2631\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=2631"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=2631"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/introtophilosophy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=2631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}