How to Argue Using the Socratic Method

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Sum up the person’s argument.

   Identify what the other person is arguing.
   
   For example, someone might say, “It’s best to give money away instead of spending it.” Often, people will believe that they are espousing common sense, which no one would disagree with.If you don’t understand what someone is arguing, ask them to clarify their beliefs.
   
   You can ask, “I don’t understand.
   
   What are you trying to say?” or “Could you restate that?”
2. 2

   Step 2: Ask for evidence.

   Before beginning to really challenge a person’s point of view, you should ask them about their evidence.
   
   A person might quickly realize that they are merely repeating something they have heard before without thinking critically.
   
   You can ask the following questions to uncover evidence:“Why do you believe that is true?” “Please explain your reasoning.” “What has lead you to that belief?” , Ideas are like building blocks.
   
   Your conclusion rests on other blocks, some of which might be unproven.
   
   When an idea is unproven, it is an assumption—and assumptions can sometimes be wrong.
   
   After asking a person for their evidence, zero in on the ideas which aren’t supported by evidence.
   
   These are their assumptions.
   
   For example, someone might say you should give away money because having too much money makes you greedy.
   
   This person is assuming someone doesn’t spend all of their available money on necessities.
   
   You can say, “But are you assuming people have money to give away after buying necessities? Is it best for these people to give their money away?” , For example, is it always good to give away your money? You can think of many situations where a selfless person might cause more harm than good.
   
   Consider the following:
   The person who wants your money is a drug addict.
   
   Ask your opponent, “Should I give my money away to someone who wants to buy drugs?” If the person says no, then follow up and ask why, which will help you tease out the other person’s thinking.
   
   You must provide food and shelter.
   
   Formulate this as a question: “Should I give away all my money when my elderly mum is dependent on me?” , For example, they might say, “People should give their money away if doing so would benefit society.” , In the example above, you can ask the person to define what “benefits society.” You can also ask questions to pin them down if they are confused.
   
   You should continue this process until you can’t invalidate the statement any more., The Socratic method is not about proving people wrong, so don’t be aggressive in with your questions.
   
   If your goal is to win an argument, then you should seek out different Greek philosophers, such as the Sophists.
   
   Indeed, the key to the Socratic method is to be humble.
   
   Don’t assume that anyone knows anything for sure.
   
   Question every premise.
   
   If the other person starts to get flustered, you can say, “I’m just playing Devil’s Advocate” or “I’m trying to understand all sides of your thinking.” You might enjoy the other person’s confusion a little too much.
   
   Try not to gloat.
   
   Remind yourself that Socrates didn’t have answers for every question he asked, which is typical of an exchange using the Socratic method.
3. 3

   Step 3: Challenge their assumptions.

4. 4

   Step 4: Find an exception.Identify a set of circumstances where the person’s statement would be false.

5. 5

   Step 5: Ask the other person to reformulate their argument.Once they concede that the exception exists

6. 6

   Step 6: they should reformulate their argument to account for the exception.

7. 7

   Step 7: Continue to ask questions or raise exceptions.

8. 8

   Step 8: Avoid getting nasty.

Detailed Guide

About the Author