Philosophy is a very broad subject and can be approached in many different manners. There are various philosophical views and methods of practicing philosophy, so many so that philosophers frequently debate upon which ones are the best or correct ones. Perhaps one of the more generally accepted methods of philosophical practice, though, is a method designed by one of the earliest and most famous philosophers, Socrates.
Socrates pronounced wisdom the most important goal in life and went about pursuing it by asking questions. He did not study in a laboratory or do manual labor in his profession, but rather posed questions with the intention of finding wisdom. This method of asking questions was later termed by Plato, Socrates’s student, the dialectic. It was so effective, in fact, that is has become one of the most classic techniques of education and is stilled used today in every classroom throughout the nation.
Socrates’s method of questioning usually consisted of seven stages. First, he would present his philosophical views in an everyday conversation, casually mentioning them to his companion and engaging their interest. Second, he would point out a certain philosophical concept that needed to be analyzed. Third, he would profess ignorance and ask his companion his opinion on the matter. When given the other person’s answer, Socrates would analyze their definition by asking questions that expose its weakness or wrongness. Once again, the person would provide another definition, revised more clearly this time, and again Socrates would repeat the process of questioning and exposing its weakness. They continue in this way until the clearest definition of the question is reached. In this manner, Socrates would also cause the other person to realize his own ignorance, which is the first step, according to Socrates, to wisdom.
Socrates would also employ in his dialectic method mentioned above the use of the reductio ad absurdum form of argument, which means “reducing to an absurdity.” He would begin by assuming that his companion’s offered definition is true but then show that it logically implied either an absurdity or a conclusion that contradicted other conclusions previously drawn by his companion. By exposing a false statement from the proposition, he skillfully proved that the assumption, rationally, must be false. Although sometimes quite frustrating to the one Socrates conversed with, the dialectic combined with the reduction ad absurdum argument proved quite effective and eye opening. Therefore, Socrates’s dialectic is quite an effective tool to gaining insight and wisdom.
