SocraticQuestions

Techniques>Questioning>SocraticQuestions
Conceptual|Assumptions|Rationale|Viewpoint|Implications|Question|Seealso

Socrateswasoneofthegreatesteducatorswhotaughtbyaskingquestionsandthusdrawingout
answersfromhispupils('exduco',meansto'leadout',whichistherootof'education').Sadly,he
martyredhimselfbydrinkinghemlockratherthancompromisehisprinciples.Bold,butnotagood
survivalstrategy.Butthenhelivedveryfrugallyandwasknownforhiseccentricity.Oneofhis
pupilswasPlato,whowroteupmuchwhatweknowofhim.
HerearethesixtypesofquestionsthatSocratesaskedhispupils.Probablyoftentotheirinitial
annoyancebutmoreoftentotheirultimatedelight.Hewasamanofremarkableintegrityandhis
storymakesformarvelousreading.
TheoverallpurposeofSocraticquestioning,istochallengeaccuracyandcompletenessofthinking
inawaythatactstomovepeopletowardstheirultimategoal.

Conceptualclarificationquestions
Getthemtothinkmoreaboutwhatexactlytheyareaskingorthinkingabout.Provetheconcepts
behindtheirargument.Usebasic'tellmemore'questionsthatgetthemtogodeeper.

Whyareyousayingthat?

Whatexactlydoesthismean?

Howdoesthisrelatetowhatwehavebeentalkingabout?

Whatisthenatureof...?

Whatdowealreadyknowaboutthis?

Canyougivemeanexample?

Areyousaying...or...?

Canyourephrasethat,please?

Probingassumptions
Probingtheirassumptionsmakesthemthinkaboutthepresuppositionsandunquestionedbeliefson
whichtheyarefoundingtheirargument.Thisisshakingthebedrockandshouldgetthemreally
going!

Whatelsecouldweassume?

Youseemtobeassuming...?

Howdidyouchoosethoseassumptions?

Pleaseexplainwhy/how...?

Howcanyouverifyordisprovethatassumption?

Whatwouldhappenif...?

Doyouagreeordisagreewith...?

Probingrationale,reasonsandevidence
Whentheygivearationalefortheirarguments,digintothatreasoningratherthanassumingitisa
given.Peopleoftenuseunthoughtthroughorweaklyunderstoodsupportsfortheirarguments.

Whyisthathappening?

Howdoyouknowthis?

Showme...?

Canyougivemeanexampleofthat?

Whatdoyouthinkcauses...?

Whatisthenatureofthis?

Arethesereasonsgoodenough?

Woulditstandupincourt?

Howmightitberefuted?

HowcanIbesureofwhatyouaresaying?

Whyis...happening?

Why?(keepaskingityou'llnevergetpastafewtimes)

Whatevidenceistheretosupportwhatyouaresaying?

Onwhatauthorityareyoubasingyourargument?

Questioningviewpointsandperspectives
Mostargumentsaregivenfromaparticularposition.Soattacktheposition.Showthatthereare
other,equallyvalid,viewpoints.

Anotherwayoflookingatthisis...,doesthisseemreasonable?

Whatalternativewaysoflookingatthisarethere?

Whyitis...necessary?

Whobenefitsfromthis?

Whatisthedifferencebetween...and...?

Whyisitbetterthan...?

Whatarethestrengthsandweaknessesof...?

Howare...and...similar?

Whatwould...sayaboutit?

Whatifyoucompared...and...?

Howcouldyoulookanotherwayatthis?

Probeimplicationsandconsequences
Theargumentthattheygivemayhavelogicalimplicationsthatcanbeforecast.Dothesemake
sense?Aretheydesirable?

Thenwhatwouldhappen?

Whataretheconsequencesofthatassumption?

Howcould...beusedto...?

Whataretheimplicationsof...?

Howdoes...affect...?

Howdoes...fitwithwhatwelearnedbefore?

Whyis...important?

Whatisthebest...?Why?

Questionsaboutthequestion
Andyoucanalsogetreflexiveaboutthewholething,turningthequestioninonitself.Usetheir
attackagainstthemselves.Bouncetheballbackintotheircourt,etc.

Whatwasthepointofaskingthatquestion?

WhydoyouthinkIaskedthisquestion?

AmImakingsense?Whynot?

WhatelsemightIask?

Whatdoesthatmean?

Seealso
Probing,SPINSelling

THE SIX TYPES OF SOCRATIC QUESTIONS

Duetotherapidadditionofnewinformationandtheadvancementof
scienceandtechnologythatoccuralmostdaily,anengineermustconstantly
expandhisorherhorizonsbeyondsimplegatheringinformationandrelying
onthebasicengineeringprinciples.
Anumberofhomeworkproblemshavebeenincludedthataredesignedto
enhancecriticalthinkingskills.Criticalthinkingistheprocessweuseto
reflecton,accessandjudgetheassumptionsunderlyingourownandothers
ideasandactions.
Socraticquestioningisattheheartofcriticalthinkingandanumberof
homeworkproblemsdrawfromR.W.Paul'ssixtypesofSocraticquestions:

1.Questionsfor
clarification:

Whydoyousaythat?

2.Questionsthatprobe
assumptions:

3.Questionsthatprobe
reasonsandevidence:

4.Questionsabout
Viewpointsand
Perspectives:

Howdoesthisrelatetoour
discussion?

"Areyougoingtoincludediffusionin
yourmolebalanceequations?"

Whatcouldweassumeinstead?

Howcanyouverifyordisapprovethat
assumption?

"Whyareneglectingradialdiffusion
andincludingonlyaxialdiffusion?"

Whatwouldbeanexample?

Whatis....analogousto?

Whatdoyouthinkcausesto
happen...?Why:?

"Doyouthinkthatdiffusionis
responsibleforthelowerconversion?"

Whatwouldbeanalternative?

Whatisanotherwaytolookatit?

Wouldyouexplainwhyitisnecessary
orbeneficial,andwhobenefits?

Whyisthebest?

Whatarethestrengthsandweaknesses
of...?

Howare...and...similar?

Whatisacounterargumentfor...?

5.Questionsthatprobe
implicationsand
consequences:

6.Questionsaboutthe
question:

"Withallthebendsinthepipe,from
anindustrial/practicalstandpoint,do
youthinkdiffusionwillaffectthe
conversion?"

Whatgeneralizationscanyoumake?

Whataretheconsequencesofthat
assumption?

Whatareyouimplying?

Howdoes...affect...?

Howdoes...tieinwithwhatwe
learnedbefore?

"Howwouldourresultsbeaffectedif
neglecteddiffusion?"

Whatwasthepointofthisquestion?

WhydoyouthinkIaskedthis
question?

Whatdoes...mean?

Howdoes...applytoeverydaylife?

"Whydoyouthinkdiffusionis
important?"