Dialectic
Megan Throne
Background
Socrates is noted as the first philosopher/educator to use a method of teaching based in conversation. The method, Elenchus, involved “examining a person with regard to a statement he has made, by putting to him questions calling for further statements in the hope that they will determine the meaning and truth value of his first statement.” Basically, elenchus was the ancient form of cross-examining someone.[1]
Socrates claimed that the method of elenchus came to be after Chaerephon received the answer from the Delphic god that “no one was wiser than Socrates.” Socrates set out to test this response by questioning the wisest men he knew, and he came to the conclusion that none of them were wiser “because whereas they knew nothing, he knew the single fact that he knew nothing.” Therefore, Plato cites in The Republic 290E that Socrates argued the “purpose of his elenchus and the command of the god is to shame people into putting first things first, and that the first thing is the virtue of the soul.”[2]
Plato, as Socrates’ student, learned from Socrates’ ways. Socrates’ use of elenchus made enemies of Socrates, brought him to trial, and brought him to his death. This was because it “involved persistent hypocrisy; it showed a negative and destructive spirit; it caused pain to its victims.”2 Plato realized that elenchus focused on “moral improvement” rather than “intellectual education.”[3]
Turning Point
In The Republic Plato defines “dialectic” as “the power of conversing…, the art concerning discussions… everything that was ever discovered concerning science became plain through this.”[4] Unlike Socrates, Plato was concerned with fact and not morality. He believed the purpose of the dialectic method was to uncover the “essence” of things through questioning because it “presupposes that things have unchanging essences.”[5] Instead of proving his students wrong, Plato wished to lead them to the correct answer that they already possessed within.
Effect
The positive nature involved with the dialectic is what has made it a long-lasting teaching method.In present-day schools, Plato’s dialectic method is still used in order to promote critical thinking. Rather than simply giving the students answers, teachers ask series of questions in order for the student to realize s/he has all the information s/he needs to find the answer on his/her own. When done correctly the dialectic method provides the student with confidence in his/her abilities and promotes the student to continue connecting pieces of information together in order to understand topics and issues.
Other philosophers, such as Kant, Hegel, and Marx, have used the term “dialectic,” but for different purposes that do not associate directly with Plato’s method.[6]This has created ambiguity surrounding the term. No matter the ambiguity, though, the method itself is without a question still used within educational systems and as a stepping stone for critical thinking.
[1]Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. 1953. p. 7.
[2]Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. 1953. p. 13.
[3]Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. 1953. p. 14.
[4]Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. 1953. p. 69.
[5]Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. 1953. p. 70-71.
[6]“Dialectic.” A Dictionary of Philosophy, Macmillan.2002.
Bibliography
Adam, James. The Republic of Plato. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 1902. Web.
“Dialectic.” The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. University Press. Credo Reference.
Cambridge. 1999. Web.
“Dialectic.” A Dictionary of Philosophy, Macmillan. Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Credo
Reference. Basingstoke. 2002. Web.
“Dialectic.” Dictionary of World Philosophy. Routledge. Credo Reference. London. 2001. Web.
Schneider, Louis. “Dialectic in Sociology.” American Sociological Review. 36.4. 1971. p. 667-
678. Web.
Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. The Clarendon Press. Oxford. 1953.
Megan Throne
Background
Socrates is noted as the first philosopher/educator to use a method of teaching based in conversation. The method, Elenchus, involved “examining a person with regard to a statement he has made, by putting to him questions calling for further statements in the hope that they will determine the meaning and truth value of his first statement.” Basically, elenchus was the ancient form of cross-examining someone.[1]
Socrates claimed that the method of elenchus came to be after Chaerephon received the answer from the Delphic god that “no one was wiser than Socrates.” Socrates set out to test this response by questioning the wisest men he knew, and he came to the conclusion that none of them were wiser “because whereas they knew nothing, he knew the single fact that he knew nothing.” Therefore, Plato cites in The Republic 290E that Socrates argued the “purpose of his elenchus and the command of the god is to shame people into putting first things first, and that the first thing is the virtue of the soul.”[2]
Plato, as Socrates’ student, learned from Socrates’ ways. Socrates’ use of elenchus made enemies of Socrates, brought him to trial, and brought him to his death. This was because it “involved persistent hypocrisy; it showed a negative and destructive spirit; it caused pain to its victims.”2 Plato realized that elenchus focused on “moral improvement” rather than “intellectual education.”[3]
Turning Point
In The Republic Plato defines “dialectic” as “the power of conversing…, the art concerning discussions… everything that was ever discovered concerning science became plain through this.”[4] Unlike Socrates, Plato was concerned with fact and not morality. He believed the purpose of the dialectic method was to uncover the “essence” of things through questioning because it “presupposes that things have unchanging essences.”[5] Instead of proving his students wrong, Plato wished to lead them to the correct answer that they already possessed within.
Effect
The positive nature involved with the dialectic is what has made it a long-lasting teaching method.In present-day schools, Plato’s dialectic method is still used in order to promote critical thinking. Rather than simply giving the students answers, teachers ask series of questions in order for the student to realize s/he has all the information s/he needs to find the answer on his/her own. When done correctly the dialectic method provides the student with confidence in his/her abilities and promotes the student to continue connecting pieces of information together in order to understand topics and issues.
Other philosophers, such as Kant, Hegel, and Marx, have used the term “dialectic,” but for different purposes that do not associate directly with Plato’s method.[6]This has created ambiguity surrounding the term. No matter the ambiguity, though, the method itself is without a question still used within educational systems and as a stepping stone for critical thinking.
[1]Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. 1953. p. 7.
[2]Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. 1953. p. 13.
[3]Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. 1953. p. 14.
[4]Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. 1953. p. 69.
[5]Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. 1953. p. 70-71.
[6]“Dialectic.” A Dictionary of Philosophy, Macmillan.2002.
Bibliography
Adam, James. The Republic of Plato. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 1902. Web.
“Dialectic.” The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. University Press. Credo Reference.
Cambridge. 1999. Web.
“Dialectic.” A Dictionary of Philosophy, Macmillan. Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Credo
Reference. Basingstoke. 2002. Web.
“Dialectic.” Dictionary of World Philosophy. Routledge. Credo Reference. London. 2001. Web.
Schneider, Louis. “Dialectic in Sociology.” American Sociological Review. 36.4. 1971. p. 667-
678. Web.
Robinson, Richard. Plato’s Earlier Dialectic. The Clarendon Press. Oxford. 1953.