Socrates Course

Lesson 1 • Who Was Socrates?

Covers Socrates' life, social role in Athens, and his self-conception as a philosopher. Grounds all subsequent method study in biographical and cultural context.

Lesson 2 • Core Philosophical Commitments

Examines Socrates' foundational beliefs: the examined life, moral knowledge, and the soul. Establishes the values that drive the Socratic method.

Lesson 3 • Primary Texts and Sources

Introduces Plato's early dialogues and Xenophon's accounts as the main evidence for Socratic thought. Students develop skills for reading philosophical primary sources critically.

Lesson 1 • The Elenchus Explained

Defines elenchus as a method of cross-examination aimed at exposing contradiction. Connects the formal structure to Socrates' philosophical goals established in Chapter 1.

Lesson 2 • Logical Structure of a Dialogue

Maps the logical arc from initial claim through refutation to revised understanding. Students can diagram a complete Socratic exchange and identify its argumentative moves.

Lesson 3 • Aporia: Productive Confusion

Explains aporia as the state of genuine puzzlement that signals readiness for deeper inquiry. Students learn to recognize and use aporia as a pedagogical turning point.

Lesson 4 • The Role of the Interlocutor

Analyzes how the respondent's role shapes the dialogue's direction and depth. Students understand how to manage interlocutor dynamics to sustain productive inquiry.

Lesson 1 • Identifying Assumptions

Trains students to surface unstated premises embedded in everyday claims and arguments. Connects to the elenctic goal of exposing hidden contradictions.

Lesson 2 • Active Listening in Dialogue

Teaches techniques for full-attention listening that capture both content and implicit meaning. Directly supports the questioning skills introduced in Chapter 2.

Lesson 3 • Formulating Precise Questions

Develops the skill of crafting questions that are clear, focused, and philosophically productive. Builds directly on question-type knowledge from Chapter 2.

Lesson 1 • Self-Reflection After Dialogue

Introduces structured post-dialogue reflection to identify facilitator strengths and gaps. Develops the metacognitive habit essential for continuous improvement.

Lesson 2 • Sustaining Depth and Momentum

Teaches strategies for keeping a dialogue intellectually rigorous without losing the interlocutor's engagement. Builds on listening and questioning skills from Chapter 3.

Lesson 3 • Opening a Dialogue Effectively

Covers how to establish a shared topic, set a collaborative tone, and elicit an initial claim. Translates theoretical method into concrete facilitation moves.

Lesson 4 • Handling Resistance and Defensiveness

Equips students to respond to emotional resistance, evasion, and hostility without abandoning inquiry. Connects to interlocutor dynamics covered in Chapter 2.

Lesson 1 • Analogical Reasoning in Dialogue

Explores how analogies illuminate and mislead in philosophical argument. Students learn to use and critique analogies as tools within Socratic exchanges.

Lesson 2 • Constructing Coherent Positions

Trains students to build and defend well-structured philosophical positions under questioning. Integrates all argumentation skills into a unified practice.

Lesson 3 • Counterexample and Refutation

Develops the skill of constructing precise counterexamples to test universal claims. Directly extends the elenctic refutation techniques from Chapter 2.

Lesson 4 • Fallacies and Weak Reasoning

Catalogs common informal fallacies that derail Socratic dialogue and obscure truth. Students learn to identify and name fallacies without resorting to ad hominem responses.

Lesson 1 • Assessment in Socratic Learning

Provides frameworks for evaluating reasoning quality, participation, and conceptual growth. Moves assessment beyond recall toward evidence of genuine inquiry.

Lesson 2 • Differentiation Through Dialogue

Addresses how Socratic questioning can be adapted for diverse learners and skill levels. Ensures inclusive inquiry that challenges all students appropriately.

Lesson 3 • Designing Inquiry-Based Lessons

Teaches how to build lessons around essential questions that drive Socratic exploration. Students align learning objectives with open-ended inquiry structures.

Lesson 1 • Socratic Coaching and Mentoring

Applies Socratic questioning to one-on-one coaching conversations to develop coachee autonomy. Builds on facilitation skills from Chapter 4 in a professional relationship context.

Lesson 2 • Socratic Problem-Solving in Teams

Structures team problem-solving sessions using Socratic inquiry to surface root causes. Students facilitate group dialogues that move beyond surface-level solutions.

Lesson 3 • Ethical Dimensions of Professional Inquiry

Examines power dynamics, consent, and boundaries when using Socratic method professionally. Students apply ethical guidelines to avoid manipulation or coercion.

Lesson 1 • Designing Socratic Curricula

Guides students in designing multi-session Socratic learning programs with coherent inquiry arcs. Extends lesson design from Chapter 5 to full curriculum scope.

Lesson 2 • Developing a Personal Socratic Style

Supports students in identifying and refining their unique facilitation voice and approach. Encourages authentic practice grounded in Socratic values.

Lesson 3 • Capstone Dialogue and Portfolio

Students conduct a full Socratic dialogue and compile a reflective portfolio demonstrating growth. Serves as the summative assessment integrating all course competencies.

Lesson 4 • Facilitating High-Stakes Dialogues

Prepares students for dialogues involving conflict, high emotion, or significant decisions. Draws on ethical and facilitation skills from Chapters 4 and 6.