If you don’t understand what someone is arguing, ask them to clarify their beliefs. You can ask, “I don’t understand. What are you trying to say?” or “Could you restate that?”[2] X Research source
“Why do you believe that is true?” “Please explain your reasoning. ” “What has lead you to that belief?”
For example, someone might say you should give away money because having too much money makes you greedy. This person is assuming someone doesn’t spend all of their available money on necessities. You can say, “But are you assuming people have money to give away after buying necessities? Is it best for these people to give their money away?”
The person who wants your money is a drug addict. Ask your opponent, “Should I give my money away to someone who wants to buy drugs?” If the person says no, then follow up and ask why, which will help you tease out the other person’s thinking. You must provide food and shelter. Formulate this as a question: “Should I give away all my money when my elderly mum is dependent on me?”
You should continue this process until you can’t invalidate the statement any more. [7] X Research source
If the other person starts to get flustered, you can say, “I’m just playing Devil’s Advocate” or “I’m trying to understand all sides of your thinking. ” You might enjoy the other person’s confusion a little too much. Try not to gloat. Remind yourself that Socrates didn’t have answers for every question he asked, which is typical of an exchange using the Socratic method.
It’s best to think of the Socratic questioning as a dialogue between you and your professor. Block out the other students listening in.
If you’re in law school, you should know the facts of the case and the court’s holding. However, apart from the facts, there are rarely “right” or “wrong” answers. Try to get into the spirit of the questioning by understanding its purpose: not to find the right answer, but to understand what you truly think.
At the same time, strive to be as brief as possible. There’s no reason to give a long-winded answer if one isn’t required.
Remember that the Socratic method is something you can use with yourself throughout your life. You should constantly interrogate what you think is true.
