Philosophy, like all other social sciences, carries enormous vested interests on its shoulders. For instance, it makes a world of difference whether one endorses the ideas of Plato (427-347 BC) or those of Aristotle (384-322 BC). In the case of Socrates, there is a large difference between the defenders and the critics of the Socratic…

The Socratic method employs pre-Aristotelian logic, that is, a logic that is not structured in syllogisms. Socrates didn’t start his debates with a general statement and then, little by little, in a sequence of steps, built a waterproof philosophical argument. After Socrates’ death in 399 BC, it took two generations to arrive at the Aristotelian…

Philosophy historians praise Socrates for having conceived an original method of inquiry. They claim that his approach to philosophy was far superior to anything attempted before him. They regard the Socratic method as a key epistemological innovation that still proves valuable nowadays in areas such as education, courtroom cross-examinations, cognitive therapy or coaching in general.…

It is extraordinarily naive to hope to find the truth by asking random questions. Even if we ask lots of questions, there is no the slightest guarantee that we will get closer to the truth. Even Socrates himself never claimed that “the Socratic method” was infallible or foolproof. What is the proof that I am…

If someone had directly asked Socrates (469-399 BC) how to practise the Socratic method, I fear that no answer would be forthcoming. Socrates would have been puzzled to learn that his practice of asking questions had been baptised “a method.” Indeed, when analysing the Socratic questioning recorded in Plato’s works, the impression is more chaotic…