User talk:Zombiebaron/wip/Socratic Method

Basically, Socratic Dialog involves two people, one leading the discussion. It is not just a series of questions - the leader asks the participtant to pass judgement on a series of assumptions which build the discussion. As an example:

Many people have misunderstood the Socratic Method. In order for us to understand it, we must agree that it is a philosophical technique used to lead two or more participants to lead to some sort of answer.

I agree that it is a philosophical technique, but I do not know that it always leads to an answer.

Then may we call it a philosophical tecnhique which is designed to lead to a concrete answer?

That I would agree with.

Would you also agree that it allows those in discussion to solve any question, regardless of difficulty?

No, that I would not agree with. For there are some questions which are unanswerable when using philosophy alone.

How then do we define what questions Socratic Dialog is able to answer?

I would say that it can answer any question which is possessed of enough concrete facts known by those discoursing to completely answer the question.

But is that not saying that Socratic Dialog can answer any question which is already answered?

Not at all - I am saying that it can answer any question that can be answered by those involved in the dialog, provided that those individuals posess the sum of all the facts which are needed to answer the question.

What you currently have are a lot of questions, none really building on the factual information required to describe the socratic method. I would advise you start from the back, and work forward. That is, what is the socratic method (whether you are just parodying the style, and giving a real description, or if you are defining it as something much different) and then work backwards to build those facts up using a discourse style with point and counterpoint between those debating. Sir Famine, Gun ♣ Petition » 01:33, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the input Famine. I'll see if I can try it out, but this whole article gives me a headache now. --The Zombiebaron 13:41, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

AAAuuuugggghhhh, I hate it when people use this method on me, and yes I do try to answer back with a question. Only to show the person who keeps asking me questions just how annoying it is, and yes I can do a much better job of it than they can. I did it to one person on a forum, and he claimed using a lot of question marks is "talking like a girl". That Orion Blastar asks a lot of questions. Do you know what I mean? Do you have any idea how annoying it is? Can you cite any examples? Why do you feel that way?

Actually in college, like 15 years ago or so, I got into a conversation with a girl that sounded like this:

Orion "I wonder what the new class will be like?"

Girl "I dunno, what do you think?"

Orion "I am not sure, what do you think?"

Girl "I dunno, what do you think?"

Orion "Why did you ask me the same question twice?"

Girl "How come you never answered my question?"

Orion "What question, which one?"

Girl "The one about the class, why didn't you answer it?"

Orion "You asked several questions about the class, which one did I not answer?"

Girl "How come you didn't answer the one about what the new class would be like?"

Orion "Because I asked it first, how come you answered my question with a question?"

Girl "How come you asked a question first?"

Orion "Why do you feel it is important that I asked the question first?"

Girl "I dunno, what do you think?"

Orion "I dunno, what do you think?"

Girl "I dunno, what do you think!?"

Orion "I dunno, what do you think?"

Girl "I dunno, what do you think!?!?"

Orion "Why are you raising your voice at me?"

Girl "How come you never answer my questions?"

Orion "Why do you think I am not answering your questions?"

Girl "Why do you answer questions with more questions?"

Orion "Why do you think that a question is not a valid answer for a question?"

Girl "Why won't you answer about the new class?"

Orion "Do you know the professor of the new class?"

Girl "How should I know the professor?"

Orion "What if the new professor is boring?"

Girl "Why do you think he could be boring?"

Orion "Why does he use the Socratic Method in class?"

Girl "Why is that boring?"

Orion "Why is it so annoying?"

Girl "Why are you so annoying?"

Orion "Why do you care that I am annoying?"

Girl "Why are all men such idiots?"

Orion "Why do you stereotype men as idiots?"

Girl "Why do you ask so many questions?"

Orion "Why ask why?"

At which point she rolled her eyes up, and walked away.

--2nd_Lt Orion Blastar (talk) 02:14, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

That conversation makes my brain bleed. --The Zombiebaron 13:41, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Apparently that is one of the side-effects of overdosing with the Socratic Method. Sad, but true. There needs to be a General Surgeon Warning. "Caution, over use of the Socratic Method may lead to Headaches and Brain Bleeding and possible mild brainwashing in Liberalism." --2nd_Lt Orion Blastar (talk) 22:04, 3 October 2006 (UTC)