Socratic Circles

What Saint Thomas Aquinas College has to say about the Socratic  Method.

From The Socratic Method and its Effect on Critical Thinking by Max Maxwell

Sample Socratic Questions
Questions about the Question: Can we break this question down? To answer this question, what questions must we answer first?
Questions of Clarification: What do you mean by ____? Can you give me an example?
Questions about Assumptions: What are you assuming? What could we assume instead?
Questions about Reasons: Could you explain your reasons? What would convince you otherwise?
Questions about Evidence: Do you have any evidence for that? What other information must we know? Who is in the position to know if that is the case?
Questions about Viewpoints: What would someone who disagrees say? How could you answer that objection?
Questions about Implications: What are you implying by that? What effect would that have? If this is true, what else must be true?

Sample Socratic Questions

  • Questions about the Question: Can we break this question down? To answer this question, what questions must we answer first?
  • Questions of Clarification: What do you mean by ____? Can you give me an example?
  • Questions about Assumptions: What are you assuming? What could we assume instead?
  • Questions about Reasons: Could you explain your reasons? What would convince you otherwise?
  • Questions about Evidence: Do you have any evidence for that? What other information must we know? Who is in the position to know if that is the case?
  • Questions about Viewpoints: What would someone who disagrees say? How could you answer that objection?
  • Questions about Implications: What are you implying by that? What effect would that have? If this is true, what else must be true?

Explanation of Socratic Circles (slideshow)

A typical Socratic circle rubric

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