Socratic questioning is a disciplined form of questioning that can be used to pursue thought in many directions for many purposes.
It includes exploring complex ideas, to get to the truth of things, to open up issues and problems, to uncover assumptions, to analyze concepts, to distinguish what we know from what we don’t know, and to follow out logical implications of thought.
Here are examples of Socratic questioning categorized by the specific goal of the inquiry.
1. Clarification Questions
Goal: To move from vague thoughts to concrete details and ensure you understand the core issue.
“What do you mean specifically by _______?”
“Could you give me an example of that?”
“Are you saying [X], or are you saying [Y]?”
“How does this relate to our earlier discussion?”
“Could you rephrase that in your own words?”
2. Probing Assumptions
Goal: To challenge the unverified beliefs that support an argument.
“What are you assuming here?”
“Is that assumption always the case?”
“Why would someone make that assumption?”
“You seem to be assuming that [X] causes [Y]. Is that necessarily true?”
“What would happen if that assumption were proven false?”
3. Probing Reasons and Evidence
Goal: To uncover the data or logic behind an argument.
“How do you know this to be true?”
“What specific evidence supports this view?”
“Is there a counter-example that disproves this?”
“On what authority are you basing this claim?”
“Are these reasons good enough to support such a strong conclusion?”
4. Questioning Viewpoints and Perspectives
Goal: To attack the problem from a different angle.
“What would be an alternative way of looking at this?”
“How would [a specific group/person] answer this question?”
“What are the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing view?”
“If you were in their shoes, how would you see this situation?”
“Why is this perspective better than the alternative?”
5. Probing Implications and Consequences
Goal: To look at the future outcome or logical conclusion of a thought.
“If we follow this line of reasoning, what is the logical conclusion?”
“What are the long-term consequences of this?”
“How does this affect [a related issue]?”
“If everyone did this, what would be the result?”
“Does this contradict what we established earlier?”
6. Questions about the Question (Meta-Questions)
Goal: To reflect on the inquiry process itself.
“Why do you think I asked that question?”
“Is this the right question for us to be focusing on?”
“What does this question assume?”
“How can we find out the answer to this?”
“Is this question easy or difficult to answer? Why?”
Real-World Application Examples
Scenario A: The Workplace (Solving a Problem)
Statement: “We need to buy new project management software; the current one is terrible.”
Clarification: “What specifically do you mean by ‘terrible’?”
Evidence: “What specific tasks are failing or taking too long because of the current software?”
Assumption: “Are we assuming the software is the problem, or could it be a lack of training on how to use it?”
Perspective: “How does the finance team feel about the current software’s reporting features?”
Scenario B: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Challenging Negative Thoughts)
Statement: “I am a total failure because I didn’t get that promotion.”
Clarification: “How exactly do you define ‘failure’?”
Evidence: “Does missing one promotion cancel out the successes you’ve had in the past year?”
Implication: “If your friend didn’t get a promotion, would you label them a ‘total failure’?”
Consequence: “What is the consequence of holding onto this belief that you are a failure?”
Tips for Using Socratic Questioning
Watch Your Tone: It should sound like curiosity, not interrogation. If you sound aggressive, the other person will get defensive.
Be Comfortable with Silence: After you ask a deep question, give the person time to think. Do not rush to fill the silence.
Listen Actively: You cannot ask a good follow-up question if you are not truly listening to the answer.
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