The Socratic Method
At the outset of his defense Socrates makes a curious remark: “One thing do ask and beg of you, gentlemen: if you hear me making my defense in the same kind of language as am accustomed to use in the market place by the bankers’ tables, where many of you have heard me, and elsewhere, do not be surprised or create a disturbance on that account.”
What makes the remark curious is that Socrates states that he will not be following the standard procedure for trials of this type, which would be for each of the two sides to hire someone to write a speech and then hire someone to give that speech—the jury would then make its decision based on the speeches and their delivery.
Instead, Socrates will use his “accustomed” method, namely that of asking questions and searching for contradictions in beliefs. This technique has come to be known as the “Socratic Method.”
Craft a post in which you summarize and examine one instance of Socrates’ use of his method. Select your example from this list:
Meletus on the charge of corrupting the youth, starting with “Let this suffice…
Meletus on the charge of corrupting the youth starting with “And by Zeus…”
Meletus on the charge of not believing in the gods starting with “And so, men of Athens…”