Socratic Questioning: A Powerful Technique to Improve Our Understanding

One of the techniques that can improve one’s critical thinking is Socratic questioning. This technique refers to is a method of inquiry that employs a series of questions to improve the clarity of thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. As the name implies, the technique was named after Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, who famously relied on the same technique to arrive at the truth.

The series of questions in this method consists of open-ended questions the purpose of which being to challenge our beliefs, explore alternative possibilities, or detect any inconsistencies in our thinking or beliefs.

Some examples of questions that might be used in Socratic questioning include:

• What evidence do you have to support that claim?
• What assumptions are you making here?
• How does this idea fit with your broader beliefs or values?
• Are there any other ways to look at this situation?
• What might be some unintended consequences of this decision?
• What would happen if we took the opposite approach?

Socratic questioning can be applied in various contexts. These  contexts can include mentorship discussions, educational settings, therapy or coaching sessions.  Socratic questioning can be a powerful tool when we want to understand the fundamentals of something complex. In his book, The Great Mental Models (Vol 1), Shane Parrish talks about how Socratic questioning can help us arrive at the first principles of something we want to understand. He shares the following process and questions as an example:

• Clarifying your thinking and explaining the origins of your ideas. (Why do I think this? What exactly do I think?)
• Challenging assumptions. (How do I know this is true? What if I thought the opposite?)
• Looking for evidence. (How can I back this up? What are the sources?)
• Considering alternative perspectives. (What might others think? How do I know I am correct?)
• Examining consequences and implications. (What if I am wrong? What are the consequences if I am?)
• Questioning the original questions. (Why did I think that? Was I correct? What conclusions can I draw from the reasoning process?)