Our job as leaders isn’t to just to clarify a thought-processes — but to give a framework and confidence for more critical thinking. We raise consciousness, unlock the fullness of human potential, and ultimately enable greater freedom. – Shel Hart
The Decline of Critical Thinking
There has been a gradual decline in people’s ability to think critically and reason independently. The carrot/stick and task-oriented approaches (learn the skill, get the score, get the degree, and get the job) have grown in proportion with the rapid rate of change, stress, and desire for immediate gratification we are experiencing. This extrinsic motivation (outside push or influence) can stifle creativity, impair self-determination, lower self-esteem, and have the unintended effect of creating less meaning in what someone does.
The Value of the Socratic Method
As a liberal arts graduate from a Jesuit College, I had to take a disproportionate share of philosophy classes. One of my perennial favorites was Socrates and his Socratic Method. According to Socrates, “Wisdom is limited to an awareness of your own ignorance.” Socrates used his Socratic Method as a means of uncovering this ignorance by challenging the completeness of thinking. His series of disciplined and probing questioning brought his students to a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter or issue.
Leading Through Questions
While providing the answer is a quicker way of imparting information, it is an illusion in the development of the student. By nature, humans are curious, try to make meaning from experience, and strive to be effective at what is valued. Our ultimate goal as leaders and parents is to create opportunities, through teaching, that can evoke motivation, stimulate critical thought, and help move people closer to their objectives.
The Socratic Process of Inquiry
The Socratic process can be broken down into a series of six steps of questioning:
Clarification – Why are you stating that? What do we already know about this? How does this relate to our discussion?
Probing Assumptions – What could we assume instead? How can you verify or disprove?
Probing Rationale – How do you know this? What evidence supports this?
Questioning Viewpoints – What are alternative ways of looking at this? What are the strengths and weaknesses?
Probing Consequences – What are the consequences of this assumption? How does it affect other factors?
Questions on the Question – What is the point of the question? Why do you think I asked this question?
Applying the Socratic Method with Care
One important thing to remember is that Socrates, while an excellent teacher, also used this method of questioning to “shred” his opponents. The Socratic Method can be used both for building up and tearing down, so remain mindful of how you use this method. While facilitating a Socratic dialogue, be sure to:
Let the person or group know you don’t have all the answers. Show you also have fears, doubts, and insecurities.
Be honest and listen carefully.
Don’t rush to judgment. Dialogue is pointless if there is no trust and a willingness to get things out in the open.
Take the dialogue seriously and show respect for thoughts and opinions (especially in disagreement).
The Long-Term Benefits of Critical Thinking
Philosopher or not, each one of us has room to grow and improve in our teaching capabilities. Remember, the concise and expedient answer you provide for the student in solving a problem may not build the character, emotional fortitude, depth, and self-esteem we seek in our future generation. Eric Hoffer summed it up well: “In times of change, learners will inherit the Earth; while the learned find themselves perfectly equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
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