Definition:
The Socratic method or elenchos was a stage in the history of dialectic, although it is still used today. It is a process of question and answer. Socrates would get a student to state a thesis and then by asking him questions would prove the thesis led to a contradiction. The Socratic method generally involves Socratic irony.
The Socratic method is a technique used in some college classes where the professor assumes the pose of someone who doesn't know the answer to a question and then elicits attempts at answers from students. The professor shows the inconsistencies in the student viewpoint by means of further leading questions.
Also Known As: elenchos
