The Unexamined Problem is Not Worth Solving
Socrates famously said that the unexamined life is not worth living. He believed that to reflect on the value of your own life and question whether you are living a morally good, pious, and socially just life is necessary for a virtuous life. Socrates practiced an approach that helps examine ideas logically and to determine the validity of those ideas. Socratic Questioning is a practice used today for disciplined, thoughtful examination of ideas through dialogue. According to the grandfather of Western philosophy, only when we question and deeply examine our beliefs can we root out the greatest of all our human vices — ignorance.
Begin with ignorance
In the proposed adaptation of the Socratic technique in design thinking for organizational transformation, the facilitator professes ignorance of the topic to engage in a dialogue with the participants. By “acting dumb,” the facilitator helps elicit various ways to reveal complete knowledge about the examined issue or topic.
The Socratic Questioning technique can be used to explore ideas in depth at different points within a unit or project. The practice of Socratic Questioning promotes creative thinking and gives participants a sense of ownership of what they are exploring together. Higher-level thinking skills are engaged in this process as the participants think, discuss, debate, evaluate, and analyze content through their thinking and the thinking of those around them.
End in Aporia
By questioning others and revealing logical inconsistencies or paradoxes in their views, Socrates prompts people to understand that they do not know what they think they know — this is the essence of Socratic wisdom. The basis of this wisdom is a firm claim that Socrates is only wiser than others insofar as he openly admits that ‘he knows nothing.’ To think oneself to know when indeed you have none is ignorance. Socratic Questioning aims at overcoming ignorance and achieving a state of enlightened puzzlement: Aporia.
Use with Caution
Socratic Questioning takes practice on both the facilitator and participants, especially when the approach is new to a group or an organization. It should not be considered a shortcut to a solution, rather a way of preparing the thinking environment around solution-seeking activities. The purpose of Socratic thinking is intellectual stimulation, not a workable solution or a commitment to any particular course of action.
The exercise is supposed to exhaust all possible ways of thinking about the issue when the participants arrive at Aporia — a state of doubt and even intellectual exhaustion. Do not engage others lightly or for too long in an organizational brainstorming context; it may severely irritate those looking for quick wins and “low-hanging fruit.”
If you plan to use Socratic Questioning in your design thinking session, ensure its purpose is clear to the participants and geared for exploratory thinking. Otherwise, the fate of your future interactions may hang at the edge of a cup filled with hemlock.
FREE TOOL: SOCRATIC QUESTIONING BOARD
