Socratic method

The Socratic method is a form of argumentative dialogue in which an individual probes a conversation partner on a topic, using questions and clarifications, until the partner is pressed to come to a conclusion on their own, or else their reasoning breaks down and they are forced to admit ignorance. The method is also known as Socratic debate, the maieutic method, or the Socratic dialectic, and sometimes equated with the Greek term elenchus. Socratic dialogues between characters employing this method feature in many of the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, where a fictionalized version of his real-life teacher Socrates debates or expounds upon various philosophical issues with a partner.

In Plato's dialogue Theaetetus, Socrates describes his method as a form of "midwifery" (maieutikós; source of the English adjective maieutic) because it is employed to help his interlocutors develop their understanding and lead it out of them in a way analogous to a child developing in the womb until it is ready for birth. The Socratic method begins with commonly held beliefs and scrutinizes them by way of questioning to determine their internal consistency and their coherence with other beliefs and so to bring everyone closer to the truth.

In modified forms, it is employed today in a variety of pedagogical contexts.