Socratic Questioning

1. Clarify the thinker's claim precisely
2. Probe assumptions — what must be true for the claim to hold?
3. Request evidence — what supports the belief? Is it sufficient?
4. Introduce counter-perspectives — what would a critic say?
5. Explore implications — if right, what follows? If wrong, what changes?
6. Synthesize (the IRON LAW checkpoint) — summarize, confirm understanding, then continue

For the six question types (clarification, assumptions, evidence, perspectives, implications, meta-questions) and scaffolding techniques (maieutics), see references/facilitation-guide.md.

Output Format

When applying Socratic questioning, output a structured question sequence:

# Socratic Inquiry: {Topic}

## Starting Position
{The thinker's current belief or question}

## Question Sequence
1. [Clarification] {question}
   → Expected insight: {what this reveals}
2. [Assumption] {question}
   → Expected insight: {what this surfaces}
3. [Evidence] {question}
   → Expected insight: ...
4. [Perspective] {question}
   → Expected insight: ...
5. [Implication] {question}
   → Expected insight: ...

## Target Insight
{What the thinker should arrive at through this sequence}

Examples

Correct Application

Scenario: Student says "AI will replace all jobs"

Socratic sequence:

1. [Clarification] "When you say 'all jobs', do you mean literally every job, or most jobs?"
2. [Evidence] "What evidence have you seen that suggests this?"
3. [Assumption] "What are you assuming about AI's capabilities? Are there tasks that require something AI can't do?"
4. [Perspective] "Historically, what happened to employment after previous technological revolutions like the Industrial Revolution?"
5. [Implication] "If AI replaced all jobs, how would people earn money to buy the things AI produces?"

→ The student arrives at a more nuanced view: AI will transform jobs, not eliminate all of them ✓

Incorrect Application

• Student: "AI will replace all jobs" → Teacher: "No it won't. Here's why..." → Provided the answer directly. Not Socratic. Violates Iron Law.

Gotchas

• Socratic method can feel adversarial: Frame questions with genuine curiosity, not as cross-examination. "I'm curious about..." softens the tone.
• Know when to stop: If the thinker is frustrated or going in circles, provide a hint or redirect. The method serves learning, not ego.
• Not all contexts suit Socratic questioning: Emergency decisions, time-sensitive situations, and purely factual questions ("what's the capital of France?") don't benefit from Socratic inquiry.
• The facilitator must actually listen: The next question should respond to what the thinker said, not follow a predetermined script. Flexibility is essential.
• Cultural sensitivity: In some cultures, questioning authority or being questioned publicly is uncomfortable. Adapt the setting (one-on-one, written) and framing.

References

• For classroom facilitation techniques, see references/facilitation-guide.md