Socratic Method Discussion

Death of Socrates

I love the idea of Socratic Method discussions...so why are they so difficult to put into practice? I believe there are several reasons for why it is so difficult to achieve Socratic style discussions.

1. The majority of us are Conveyor Belt Educated...we never learned by using Socratic discussion, so have no idea what it is like to achieve it in practice.
2. There is some illusive idea that we need to follow a specific outline, set of discussion questions, or be a master of verbalizing ideas in order to achieve a true Socratic discussion. 
3. Lack of confidence in ourselves to be able to achieve something so beyond our idea of what education looks like.
4. We have not studied Plato's works, so thus we have not been exposed to the "real" Socrates, much less read all of the original texts in order to fully know what it all is anyway.

Luckily, there is a way to overcome all of these hold-ups!

Step 1 - Study the Classics

First, we must read the original works. For the longest time I thought Socrates was the author of the original works. Not true! Plato is the author of several dialogues in which he quotes the ideas and methodology of Socrates, his mentor. This is an easy fix, although granted a daunting one. 

I have read all most of Plato's works (I have not read The Law).  In the beginning, they were very hard to understand. However, the beauty of  reading the classics is that the reader becomes better able to comprehend what is read with practice. Read, read, read! You will become better at understanding as you study.

I recommend starting with Plato's Dialogues and finishing with The Republic. I read The Republic (free Google Book) first, much to my folly, and realized that was not the best place to start. I am not positive which order of reading is "correct" or best.

Step 2 - Practice

After reading all of Plato's works, start practicing! Try asking questions like Socrates did at the dinner table, with your spouse, with your children, with your friends...even on Facebook! I've found that practicing with every day conversation became much easier than at a class or book club meeting. 

Later, once you feel more confident in your abilities at every day conversation, move up to this type of discussion at book clubs and classes. Even in church! Yes, you may get a few stares, but in the long run you may find that people look forward to hearing questions outside of the typical church related cookie-cutter answers.

Step 3 - Apply to Mentoring

The hardest part is to learn to turn knowledge into application. That said, if you followed Step 2, you have already been practicing! "Practice makes perfect!"

I believe one of the most difficult things is to allow a time of silence when my students do not answer a question. I've found that I need to wait at least 10 seconds before rephrasing my question. In a room full of people, 10 seconds feels like a long time! I have also asked my students to bring questions of their own for classes and book clubs. Learn to allow the students to ask questions. 

This is one of the most important parts of learning how to think...let your students think...be their guide, not their answer source. It is OK to say, "I don't know the answer to that question. Where do you think we would find it?" 

Step 4 - Allow for Imperfection

I am not a perfect example of the Method, as I am still a work in progress myself. I am much better on paper (or on the web) than I am in person. :-) I am still working at my ability to hold and carry on a Socratic Method Discussion.

That said, I do believe that we can learn through reading the classics...specifically Plato's own words. If you want to know how to do it, learn it "straight from the horse's mouth".