Open AccessSocratic Pedagogy, Race and Power
Author(s) -
Peter Boghossian
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
education policy analysis archives
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.727
H-Index - 46
ISSN - 1068-2341
DOI - 10.14507/epaa.v10n3.2002
Subject(s) - socratic method , power (physics) , criticism , aside , dominance (genetics) , pedagogy , sociology , epistemology , socratic questioning , race (biology) , psychology , social psychology , gender studies , linguistics , philosophy , law , political science , physics , biochemistry , chemistry , quantum mechanics , gene
Rud (1997) wrote in this journal: " Leaving aside the blatant (to my eyes at least) problems of power and dominance of an elderly Greek citizen teaching a slave boy, this example [the Meno] of teaching has always left me cold." Garlikov (1998) addressed Rud's criticism of the Socratic dialogue. The present article addresses and extends Garlikov's response to cover general notions of power, and shows how these may affect Socratic discourse. Socratic pedagogy is not merely an illusory exercise where participants acquiesce to notions of truth because of power differentials. But power relations play a role in all communicative contexts. However, in Socractic pedagogy the adverse effects of power are greatly reduced and the focus is shifted from people to propositions.