Oh Yea
...the meaning of some term or idea which lacks concrete definition and then to cross-examine the opponent (Brickhouse Jul 6, 2004 p. 24) until they eventually contradict themselves thus admitting failure in their understanding of the topic. This method had working elements allowing it to flow and prove so effective, which will be described in this essay.
The Socratic Method
Socrates' regular first move when teaching or arguing and the first element I will discuss, was the exhortation Let us consider the problem together'. In the dialogue Memorabilia, when challenged about his free' teaching and philosophizing Socrates said to Antiphon "Let's take a closer look, then, at the apparent hardships that you have noticed in my life" (McLeod 2007 p. 42)
He would listen to what the opponent thought rather then telling them what to think. Socrates was very strict in his discussions though and would never let the conversation become directionless, asking the right questions or repeating himself in simpler terms to keep it flowing. Socrates was a brilliant thinker, and insisted on a critical approach to key ethical issues in which he was highly interested. The objective of his enquiries was to establish a sufficient understanding of commonly used terms such as courage, piety, love, beauty and so on which were very old and seemed self explanatory to most people.
Another element relied on the opponent's understanding of a term, which Socrates would lure out of them with clever questioning and treat as a temporary definition. This was then subjected to his analysis and criticism. In some circumstances his analysis was simply to clarify the meaning of the words used. In most cases, however, Socrates developed an argument to show that the opponent's definition led to inconsistent information or unacceptable...
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