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How does the Socratic method reveal contradictions in an argument?
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Socrates
Herm of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, from a Greek original, second half of the 4th century bce; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.
The Socratic method, or elenchos, reveals contradictions in an argument by using a systematic process of cross-examination to expose that an interlocutor's various claims are logically incompatible.12
Rather than acting as a teacher, Socrates would adopt the role of an ignorant inquirer, asking a series of probing questions to test a participant's stated beliefs. The process typically follows these steps:13
- Initial Claim: The interlocutor provides an answer to a principal question, such as "What is piety?"1
- Supplementary Questioning: Socrates asks further questions to elicit additional premises that the interlocutor agrees to.1
- Revealing Inconsistency: Through this give-and-take, Socrates demonstrates that the interlocutor's initial answer conflicts with the subsequent premises they have accepted.1
- Aporia: Once the contradiction is exposed, the interlocutor is forced to withdraw their original position, often leaving the participants in a state of aporia, or intellectual impasse.12
By showing that their beliefs do not fit together as a coherent group, the method serves to disabuse individuals of the false conviction that they possess knowledge they do not actually have.12