The great philosopher Socrates invented a unique discussion method called mayevtica. This is a very effective technique, which is used in our time. In fact, he is perhaps the only way to convince his opponent of the opposite. In this case, the interlocutor can be skillfully driven into a dead end by his own statements. What is the essence and uniqueness of this method? Let's try to figure it out.
Socrates and his life
Not much is known about the life of Socrates, but the information that has come down to us through the centuries seems very interesting.
Socrates is an Athenian philosopher born in 469 BC. e. It was his figure that marked the so-called turn in philosophy - from the consideration of nature to the consideration of man.
As for the life and fate of the philosopher, some theologians of the Patristic period drew analogies between Socrates and Jesus. It is known that the first was the son of a sculptor. In adulthood, he married Xanthippe - a very grumpy woman, whose name even became a household name.
"I only know that I know nothing, but others do not even know that." Perhaps everyone heard this phrase, which, according to researchers, belongs precisely to Socrates. According to this principle, he lived.
It is known that the philosopher did not leave a single line. Humanity learned about his thoughts and beliefs only from the works of his students - Xenophon and Plato. Socrates was convinced that writing down his own thoughts weakens human memory. The thinker brought to the truth of his students with the help of a skillfully built dialogue. It was in conversations and dialogues that he created his own method, now known as mayevtica. This can be called a huge contribution to philosophical thought.
The trial of Socrates and the death of the philosopher
In 399 BC, the great sage was accused of blasphemy and corruption of the younger generation. We learn about the trial of Socrates from the works of Plato and Xenophon. The philosopher refused to pay the fine, as well as the offer of friends to abduct him from prison.
Was Socrates really guilty? According to modern historians from the University of Cambridge, there was. At that time, the actions of the eccentric philosopher could indeed be classified as illegal.
As a result, the thinker was sentenced to death, and he himself took the poison. The process of death of Socrates is described in detail by the same Plato. What exactly the sage was poisoned with is unknown. According to one hypothesis, it was a spotted hemlock.
Socrates really became a victim of his wisdom. However, his thoughts live to this day, including the unique method of mayevtics. Let's try to understand in more detail what it is, what its features are.
Socrates Method
Mayevtica is “the art of a midwife,” as Socrates himself called it. You can still find such a definition as "Socratic irony" or "Socratic conversation."
Mayevtics in philosophy is, in fact, a way to implement the principle of “Know thyself”. With this technique, the opponent not only realizes his wrongness, he also becomes a seeker of true knowledge. “There is nothing stronger than knowledge” - that is what Socrates said ...
Translated from Greek, mayevtica is “midwife art”. The essence of this technique is to lead the interlocutor to understanding the real state of things by posing suggestive, specially thought-out questions. Thus, the opponent himself comes to the truth, and you only quietly push him to this.
Mayevtica of Socrates is, first of all, the ability to pose competent questions in a dialogue. The philosopher was convinced that true knowledge can only be reached through the self-knowledge of another person. And for this, a purification procedure is necessary, carried out by asking questions about the essence of a particular phenomenon.
Mayevtica Socrates - a weapon in an intellectual dispute
The great philosopher personally developed a method that has not lost its relevance to this day. No one will deny that dialogue, discussion, constructive debate is an important tool for gaining new knowledge and awareness of one’s level of incompetence.
In general, Socrates in his life did just that and asked questions. He really enjoyed talking with a self-confident person, watching how, confused in his tricky questions, he instantly lost all his arrogance and confidence.
It should be noted that the dialogue on the principle of "question and answer" was actively used by other philosophers, in particular - sophists. However, their argument was only an end in itself. But Socrates never engaged in verbiage, he believed that any dialogue should lead to a specific goal. In his conversations, he himself tried to find answers to the fundamental questions of being: "What is good from evil?", "What is justice?" etc.
Examples of Mayevtics of Socrates
Socrates was a very crafty, ironic and dangerous conversationalist. Usually in conversations, he pretended to be a naive simpleton, luring an opponent into his insidious networks.
A recording of the conversation between the sage and a certain Menon has been preserved. To begin with, Socrates asked the latter about his occupation. Unaware of any tricks, the good-natured Menon begins to teach the philosopher. However, very soon, due to correctly posed questions, the interlocutor is completely lost. Socrates, in turn, continues to ironize over the naive victim.
When the opponent lost his self-confidence, he was ready for a joint search for truth. Asking another, Socrates himself investigated the subject of conversation, because he did not consider himself knowledgeable. That is why he called his art “midwife”, because in such a dialogue the truth was born.
Short conclusions
Thus, mayevtics in philosophy is the art of asking questions. Socrates was sure that "to know is to know what it is." That is, to be fair, you need to clearly understand what justice is, and be able to give it an adequate definition. Thus, Socrates first raised knowledge to the level of concept.
The method of mayevtics considered by us has not lost its relevance even more than two thousand years after its invention. And today you can meet craftsmen who effectively use this technique in practice.