The goal of this blog is to stimulate thinking about social media. I believe the Socratic method is an interesting tool for communication. It must therefore have applications in social media.
Here's my thoughts about using the Socratic method in social media:
1. Take a stance of skeptical ignorance. Enquire about others views on a subject.
2. Be conversational, but keep probing assumptions.
3. Require definition of terms. This is where conversations often go wrong. Ask what people mean by X.
4. Use experience. Refer to your own experiences.
5. Draw implications & consequences. Talk about what will happen if X occurs.
Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who proposed asking questions to test people's assumptions as a way to debate the truth of an assumption and to stimulate thought.
Getting someone to see the problems with their assumptions was one of it's goals. It is one of the methods used in education to get engagement from reluctant learners and to test critical thinking skills.
For detailed info on Socratic method, as used in education and philosophy see here.
My guide to social media is available on Amazon. Enjoy!
