Essay on Socratic Method

Submitted By SachelR

Words: 416

Pages: 2

Open Document

The Fate of our Future: Significant Contributions of Socrates The unparalleled contributions of Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, have had the most profound and significant influence in the field of metaphysics. Socrates introduced the concept of a society that both respected and encouraged the independent investigation of truth. Socrates believed this notion to be the foundation for the healthy growth and development of an ever-advancing civilization. Independent thinking represented the antithesis to the oppressive authoritarian reality, dominated by conflict and strife, that had been historically pervasive for generations. Socrates both asked, and encouraged others to ask challenging questions. Individuals in positions of authority felt threatened by this approach and consequently accused Socrates of corrupting the young. (“Socrates”, 10) Despite the attempts of his oppressors, this approach to broadening ones understanding of knowledge became known as the Socratic Method. A multitude of educational institutions have since based their pedagogy on the contributions of Socrates. In 1870 when Christopher Columbus Langdell became the first dean of Harvard Law School, the Socratic Method was introduced and has been used for the past hundred and forty three years in many U.S universities. (Ford) Socrates believed that a world that encouraged the independent investigation of truth was a world that had infinite potential for growth and development. A world void of these notions and a life without the freedom to think for oneself was in fact, according to Socrates, no life at all. Socrates asserted that he would rather die than live without the freedom of independent investigation. His oppressors granted him this wish due to a fear of losing control over others and

The Socratic Method Essay

. The Socratic Method In the early dialogues, Socrates is often shown in the company of someone who professes to know something Socrates himself claims not to know. One of the therapeutic functions of the Socratic method is to bring out the fact that many pretend to knowledge they do not in fact have. Removing a false claim to know clears the way for a humbled pursuit of knowledge. One who says he knows what virtue is will often reply, when prodded by Socrates, to give instances of virtue. What…

Words 346 - Pages 2

Minimalist Tutoring: Making The Student Do All The Work

avoid this conundrum is by using an adapted version of the Socratic Method. The Socratic Method is a form on teaching where the teacher asks questions of the student until a suitable answer is found. The Socratic Method in its pure form is unsuitable for goals of a writing and reading center, because of its aggressive nature, the notion that there is…

Words 560 - Pages 3

Essay on Greek Civilization

to us today for the “Socratic Method” of teaching (Darkside, 2009). The “Socratic Method,” is carried out by asking and having his students ask questions, rather than by lecturing or ‘teaching.’ While most schools today are characterized by a great deal of lecture, schools using a Socratic Method base learning on the student, not the teacher. Rather than being a purveyor of knowledge, a Socratic teacher uses questioning to draw out learning from the students. The Socratic teacher focuses the discussion;…

Words 296 - Pages 2

Essay about Philosophy 160

beauty. Furthermore he says he does not have to answer why he perplexes people. 4. What is Meno’s Paradox? What is the doctrine of recollection? How does recollection respond to Meno’s Paradox? How does the doctrine of recollection reflect the Socratic Method? Meno’s Paradox states one you cannot learn what you know because you already know it and two you cannot learn what you don’t know because you wont know if you learn it. The doctrine of recollection states the soul is immortal. In a prior life…

Words 895 - Pages 4

the goal Essay

Setting Like other books by Goldratt, The Goal is written as a piece of fiction. The main character is Alex Rogo, who manages a production plant owned by UniCo Manufacturing, where everything is always behind schedule and things are looking dire. At the beginning of the book, Bill Peach, a company executive, tells Alex that he has three months to turn operations at his plant around from being unprofitable and unreliable to being successful.[2] His distant acquaintance, Jonah (a physicist), whom…

Words 416 - Pages 2

Socrates Last Days

and having the courage to follow to a conclusion. Socrates wanted nothing more than to guide the people of Athens towards both moral and intellectual improvement, by seeking out wisdom and right conduct. In doing this, he often used the method now known as, Socratic dialogue or dialectic. Socrates brought out the knowledge people claimed they possesed by asking a series of questions and examining the insinuations of their…

Words 835 - Pages 4

Plato Presentation Paper

works are authentic. They also debate what order his major works were written, and if Plato was writing before the execution of Socrates 399 B.C.E. () On the other hand, most agree that Plato’s major works can be divided into three distinct groups, Socratic Dialogues, Middle Period and Later Dialogues. A large majority of scholars also agree that Plato’s earliest works are the most reliable and accurate recordings of Socrates teachings. It is widely accepted amongst scholars that Plato was born between…

Words 1774 - Pages 8

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

with hopes that the resolving of the problems will lessen the symptoms of depression. Another intervention that is used in this course of therapy is Socratic questioning. This method is described as “a therapist [asking] a series of carefully sequenced questions to help define problems” by Gavin Clark and Sarah Egan in their article “The Socratic Method in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: A Narrative Review.” This intervention is similar to the problem-solving treatment, but they differ slightly, as…

Words 1019 - Pages 5

I Do Not Think That I Know What I Do Not Know Essay example

the same time concealing it. By implying that he is cleverer by showing that he is keeping something back from the juror, Socrates has put himself above the jury. The ironic person claims to be less than he is and particularly less wise; (Kluth, “Socratic Irony) in order for the ironist to engage in someone arrogant, they make them believe they are the superior. Socrates is reminiscent of someone from the allegory of the cave. In the allegory of the cave, the soul ascends and it begins to understand…

Words 1270 - Pages 6

Allegory Of The Cave Research Paper

The guardians can be rulers or auxiliaries. Only the best can be rulers. They must be dedicated and posses reason and knowledge. Socrates puts the people of the state into three categories: rulers, auxiliaries, and craftsmen. The Myth of the Metals is that though there are three different metals, gold, silver, iron and brass, all three are the same (Ebenstein). A person can be born into any three of the classes. Even if their parents are craftsmen they could be a ruler. Women may also be qualified…

Words 589 - Pages 3