This exciting new textbook provides a sophisticated examination of the Socratic method for teaching political science students in higher education. It shows how the Socratic method is employed in the Platonic dialogs, compares its transformative approach to other student-centered teaching philosophies, and addresses the challenges of adopting the Socratic method in the contemporary classroom. The book is divided into three sections that integrate these practical aspects on the Socratic method with the theoretical considerations of Socratic philosophy while also addressing contemporary concerns about teaching and learning in higher education. Section One explores how the Socratic method is portrayed by Socrates in Plato’s dialogs. Section Two compares the Socratic method with modern and contemporary accounts of teaching and learning. Section Three examines some of the contemporary challenges of practicing the Socratic method in the university classroom today and how teachers can overcome them. Written in a clear and engaging style, this timely intervention is essential reading for upper undergraduate students enrolled in courses that specialize in pedagogical techniques, political theory, Socratic philosophy, and law.

"The Socratic method is one of the timeless inventions of the ancient world. It is a path to wisdom and a way to think more intelligently about questions large or small. It is a technique for teaching others and for talking to yourself. It is an antidote to stupidity, to irrationality, and to social media. It is easy to understand but challenging to master. It is useful for everyone. This book explains the Socratic method in detail: what it is, where it came from, and how to carry it out. The chapters teach the elements of the method step by step with examples from Plato's dialogues. They illustrate how to create Socratic questions of your own. They show how the teachings of Socrates produced the philosophies of Stoicism and Skepticism. The book also explains how the Socratic method can be put to work in the classroom, and it offers Socratic rules of engagement for talking about politics and other hard things. The Socratic Method is a complete guide to the practical use of a great idea"--

This book examines the Socratic method of elenchus, or refutation. Refutation by its very nature is a conflict, which in the hands of Plato becomes high drama. The continuing conversation in which it occurs is more a test of character than of intellect. Dialogue and Discovery shows that, in his conversations, Socrates seeks to define moral qualities—moral essences—with the goal of improving the soul of the respondent. Ethics underlies epistemology because the discovery of philosophic truth imposes moral demands on the respondent. The recognition that moral qualities such as honesty, humility, and courage are necessary to successful inquiry is the key to the understanding of the Socratic paradox that virtue is knowledge. The dialogues receiving the most emphasis are the Apology, Gorgias, Protagoras, and Meno.

Since the Renaissance, the Socratic Method has been adapted to teach diverse subjects, including medicine, law, and mathematics. Each discipline selects elements and emphases from the Socratic Method that are appropriate for teaching individuals or groups how to reason judiciously within that subject. By looking at some of the great practitioners of Socratic questioning in the past, Socratic Methods in the Classroom explains how teachers may use questioning, reasoning, and dialogue to encourage critical thinking, problem solving, and independent learning in the secondary classroom. Through a variety of problems, cases, and simulations, teachers will guide students through different variations of the Socratic Method, from question prompts to the case method. Students will learn to reason judiciously, gain an understanding of important issues, and develop the necessary skills to discuss these issues in their communities. Grades 8-12

Socratic Moments: How the Socratic Method Engenders Authentic Educational Encounters offers educators theoretical and practical ways to implement the Socratic Method in educational settings. This book begins with a working definition of the Socratic Method that includes a serious look at elements of Socrates’ ancient method in modern day teaching and learning situations. The book reaffirms the logical connection between the Socratic method and critical thinking, but also offers new explorations on how the Socratic method can enhance self-directed learning, leadership development, and learning styles. Lastly, the book elucidates the beneficial qualities of teachers growing into Socratic teaching and enjoying the process of mastering an instructional strategy that assists with human flourishing.

This ONE skill is the basis of your ability to think critically. Do you know what it is? It's the ability to ask the RIGHT questions. What is life if not filled with questions? There was a time you took for granted the trustworthiness of the answers you got from the government, the media, religion, subject experts, and friends and family. But, with the massive erosion of public trust in every major institution, like most people, you've been forced to rely on your own problem-solving and critical thinking faculties. What if you were never taught to do this? It's likely that you're overwhelmed by the information you are bombarded with on a daily basis. It doesn't help that much of this information is suspect. Fake news has reached such epidemic proportions that, according to Statistica, only 26 percent of Americans think they could recognize a fake news story. Worse, as much as 90 percent of Americans pass on fake news unintentionally. That means people aren't even examining or questioning the "facts" of the information they pass on. This doesn't have to be you. The Socratic questioning method will help you develop the critical thinking skills to resolve the tough life questions you may have. Socrates was considered to be one of the wisest men of his time, and he's reputed to have said the unexamined life isn't a life worth living. What he meant is if you never looked at the assumptions underlying the information or rules that governed your life, what was the point of living? Socrates himself once questioned whether he was the wisest man in all Greece, even though it was a commonly held opinion. He didn't just accept it. We understand and agree with Socrates' perspective. We all want to get to the truth of all matters, be better at examining and assessing facts, and build stronger arguments. This is exactly what Socrates was teaching through his method, at the heart of which lies the art and science of coming up with the right questions. And this is what the book is all about. The Socratic Way Of Questioning: How To Use Socrates' Method To Discover The Truth And Argue Wisely book will teach you: The 10 deadly sins of logic - how many are you guilty of? - Pg. 137 The 9 skills you need to be a critical thinker and the tools to develop them - Pg. 18 What the Socratic Method is and how to use it - even if you're not a lawyer or a scientist - Pg. 51 These 8 traits that make your mind more like Socrates' - Pg. 64 Why people fail to ask questions they should and how you can avoid falling into this trap - Pg. 106 How to get people to answer your questions, even if they're resistant - Pg. 113 The 7 techniques for creating questions that get you to the truth - Pg. 114 Why you don't really "know" anything until you put it through these tests - Pg. 91 ....and much, much more The 21st century will see information become more valuable than even oil or gold. Don't you want to be able to accurately assess the information you encounter in your daily life? It's easy to go with the flow and get pulled in every direction by current trends and thinking. What has set innovators and the successful apart has been their ability to see beyond what everyone else does. Like Socrates, they always begin with this most important weapon in their arsenal: the right question. If you want to be as wise as Socrates, then click "Add To Cart" now!

As the field of psychotherapy focuses more on treatment manuals and the regimented nature of clinical research, the practice risks losing the subtle nuances that guide the interactive fluidity of therapy sessions. Can clinicians combat this loss by incorporating ideals from ancient philosophy into contemporary psychotherapy? In The Socratic Method of Psychotherapy, James Overholser approaches cognitive therapy through the interactive dialogues of Socrates, aiming to reduce the gap between theory and practice. Clinicians and students will appreciate the flexibility and creativity that underlie effective psychotherapy sessions when guided by the Socratic method as an innovative approach to self-exploration.

Although "the Socratic method" is commonly understood as a style of pedagogy involving cross-questioning between teacher and student, there has long been debate among scholars of ancient philosophy about how this method as attributed to Socrates should be defined or, indeed, whether Socrates can be said to have used any single, uniform method at all distinctive to his way of philosophizing. This volume brings together essays by classicists and philosophers examining this controversy anew. The point of departure for many of those engaged in the debate has been the identification of Socratic method with "the elenchus" as a technique of logical argumentation aimed at refuting an interlocutor, which Gregory Vlastos highlighted in an influential article in 1983. The essays in this volume look again at many of the issues to which Vlastos drew attention but also seek to broaden the discussion well beyond the limits of his formulation. Some contributors question the suitability of the elenchus as a general description of how Socrates engages his interlocutors; others trace the historical origins of the kinds of argumentation Socrates employs; others explore methods in addition to the elenchus that Socrates uses; several propose new ways of thinking about Socratic practices. Eight essays focus on specific dialogues, each examining why Plato has Socrates use the particular methods he does in the context defined by the dialogue. Overall, representing a wide range of approaches in Platonic scholarship, the volume aims to enliven and reorient the debate over Socratic method so as to set a new agenda for future research. Contributors are Hayden W. Ausland, Hugh H. Benson, Thomas C. Brickhouse, Michelle Carpenter, John M. Carvalho, Lloyd P. Gerson, Francisco J. Gonzalez, James H. Lesher, Mark McPherran, Ronald M. Polansky, Gerald A. Press, François Renaud, and W. Thomas Schmid, Nicholas D. Smith, P. Christopher Smith, Harold Tarrant, Joanne B. Waugh, and Charles M. Young.

The most helpful and practical philosophy ever devised. The advice the Stoics provided centuries ago is still the best anyone has offered and it's as useful today as it was then-or more. Stoicism means knowing the difference between what we can control and what we can't, and not worrying about the latter. The Stoics were masters of perspective, always taking the long view while remembering that life is short. And they were deep and insightful students of human nature, understanding how we manage to make ourselves miserable as well as how we seek and can find fulfillment. The great insights of the Stoics are spread over a wide range of ancient sources. Ward Farnsworth brings them all together and systematically presents what the various Stoic philosophers said on every important topic, accompanied by an eloquent commentary that is clear and concise. The result is a set of philosophy lessons for everyone-the most valuable wisdom of ages past made available for our times.

The benefits and importance of Socratic seminars are widely recognized, but little has been written on how to make them happen successfully in the classroom. In Socratic Circles: Fostering Critical and Creative Thinking in Middle and High School , author Matt Copeland provides real-world examples and straightforward answers to frequent questions. He creates a coaching guide for both the teacher new to Socratic seminars and the experienced teacher seeking to optimize the benefits of this powerful strategy. Socratic Circles also shows teachers who are familiar with literature circles the many ways in which these two practices complement and extend each other. Effectively implemented, Socratic seminars enhance reading comprehension, listening and speaking skills, and build better classroom community and conflict resolution skills. By giving students ownership over the classroom discussion around texts, they become more independent and motivated learners. Ultimately, because there is a direct relationship between the level of participation and the richness of the experience, Socratic seminars teach students to take responsibility for the quality of their own learning. Filled with examples to help readers visualize the application of these concepts in practice, Socratic Circles includes transcripts of student dialogue and work samples of preparation and follow-up activities. The helpful appendices offer ready-to-copy handouts and examples, and suggested selections of text that connect to major literary works. As our classrooms and our schools grow increasingly focused on meeting high standards and differentiating instruction for a wide variety of student needs and learning styles, Socratic seminars offer an essential classroom tool for meeting these goals.Socratic Circles is a complete and practical guide to Socratic seminars for the busy classroom teacher.