Thinking method · Plato, the Socratic dialogues
Socratic questioning
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Testing a definition or belief by following its consequences until something breaks.
The steps
- Get a definition. "What do you mean by success?" Insist on a real answer.
- Ask for an example that fits it, and one that does not.
- Find a case the definition includes that it should not, or excludes that it should.
- Offer the improved definition back and repeat.
- Stop when the definition survives, or when you have found you do not have one — both are results.
When to use it
Any word you use often and have never defined: success, fair, ready, good enough.
What it will not do
Done to another person it can feel like an interrogation. It works best on yourself first.
Where it comes from: Plato, the Socratic dialogues. Described in our own words.
The module it belongs to
- Questioning — Ask better questions