What was Socrates' Theory of Knowledge? Socrates was convinced that the surest way to attain reliable knowledge was through the practice of disciplined conversation. He called this method dialectic. What does dialectic mean? di-a-lec-tic (noun) means the art or practice of examining opinions or ideas logically, often by the method of question and answer, so as to determine their validity. How did Socrates use the dialectic? He would begin with a discussion of the obvious aspects of any problem. Socrates believed that through the process of dialogue, where all parties to the conversation were forced to clarify their ideas, the final outcome of the conversation would be a clear statement of what was meant. The technique appears simple but it is intensely rigorous. Socrates would fein ignorance about a subject and try to draw out from the other person his fullest possible knowledge about it. His assumption was that by progressively correcting incomplete or inaccurate notions, one could coax the truth out of anyone. The basis for this assumption was an individual's capacity for recognizing lurking contradictions. If the human mind was incapable of knowing something, Socrates wanted to demonstrate that, too. Some dialogues, therefore, end inconclusively. What is a Socratic Seminar? A Socratic Seminar is method to try to understand information by creating a dialectic in class in regards to a specific text. In a Socratic Seminar, participants seek deeper understanding of complex ideas in the text through rigorously thoughtful dialogue, rather than by memorizing bits of information. The Text: Socratic Seminar texts are chosen for their richness in ideas, issues, and values and their ability to stimulate extended,
What was Socrates' Theory of Knowledge? Socrates was convinced that the surest way to attain reliable knowledge was through the practice of disciplined conversation. He called this method dialectic. What does dialectic mean? di-a-lec-tic (noun) means the art or practice of examining opinions or ideas logically, often by the method of question and answer, so as to determine their validity. How did Socrates use the dialectic? He would begin with a discussion of the obvious aspects of any problem. Socrates believed that through the process of dialogue, where all parties to the conversation were forced to clarify their ideas, the final outcome of the conversation would be a clear statement of what was meant. The technique appears simple but it is intensely rigorous. Socrates would fein ignorance about a subject and try to draw out from the other person his fullest possible knowledge about it. His assumption was that by progressively correcting incomplete or inaccurate notions, one could coax the truth out of anyone. The basis for this assumption was an individual's capacity for recognizing lurking contradictions. If the human mind was incapable of knowing something, Socrates wanted to demonstrate that, too. Some dialogues, therefore, end inconclusively. What is a Socratic Seminar? A Socratic Seminar is method to try to understand information by creating a dialectic in class in regards to a specific text. In a Socratic Seminar, participants seek deeper understanding of complex ideas in the text through rigorously thoughtful dialogue, rather than by memorizing bits of information. The Text: Socratic Seminar texts are chosen for their richness in ideas, issues, and values and their ability to stimulate extended,
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