Socratic questioning

The basic idea of a Socratic dialogue is to stimulate thinking by asking questions.

Richard Paul identified six categories of predefined questions to stimulate critical thinking. Questions like this can be used in journaling or dialogical approaches.

Questions to clarify concepts

(See Working with Representation) 

• What exactly does…mean to you?

• Can you give me an example?

• How does this relate to what we have just been talking about?

• Could you put that another way?

• Could you expand upon that?

Questions to explore assumptions

(See Working with meaning schemas) 

• What assumptions are you making about…?

• What do you know for a fact about…?

• Is there anything that you are assuming but don’t really know?

• What difference would it make if this assumption were untrue?

Questions to explore rationale and reasoning

(See Working with Causation) 

• Why do you think that happened?

• How did you come to that conclusion?

• What other information might you need in order to be sure?

• Tell me how you got from A to B?

• What would change your mind?

• What would you say to someone who said…?

Questions to explore origins and sources

• Where did this idea come from?

• Was there anyone who influenced you?

• What caused you to feel this way?

• How do you know that this is reliable information?

Questions to explore viewpoint

See Perspective shifting and self-distancing 

• If you were advising someone else in this situation, what would you say?

• Can you imagine how this might appear if you were…?

• What do you think…would say about this?

• If you imagine that you are five years in the future, how does your current situation appear now?

Questions to explore implications and consequences

(See Working with Causation) 

• What do you think would happen next?

• Can you think of any possible consequences of doing that?

• How do you think you will…?

• What effect would that have?

• How likely do you think that outcome is?

Questions about the initial question or issue

• Why are you thinking about this?

• What else could you be thinking about?

• Why did you choose that question?

• What questions are you avoiding?

• What questions are difficult to answer and why?

Based on ideas in Paul, R. (1993) Critical Thinking: What every person needs to survive in a rapidly changing world. Foundation for Critical Thinking.