Open AccessUse & Abuse of Socrates in Teaching
Author(s) -
A. G. Rud
Publication year - 1997
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.v5n20.1997
Subject(s) - socratic method , socrates , context (archaeology) , irony , socratic questioning , pedagogy , teaching method , sociology , epistemology , mathematics education , psychology , philosophy , history , linguistics , archaeology
The Greek philosopher Socrates is used as an example of a master teacher in in many contexts, from elementary school discussions, to college philosophy classes, to law school. I examine a number of current uses of Socratic teaching, and expose inconsistencies among them. I analyze critically recent practitioners of Socratic teaching, such as Mortimer Adler, and I consider how the celebrated primary teacher Vivian Gussin Paley enacts the Socratic legacy in a novel way. I argue that the misuse, or abuse, of the Socratic legacy occurs chiefly when his teaching is interpreted narrowly as a pedagogical technique devoid of context and irony.