The 'Socratic question' was a way in which the philosopher Socrates believed we could all become less passive, demonstrate logically why we believe something to be true and therefor not become a 'sheep'. The process involves systematically breaking down a question into parts for analysis. Below is one such formula using Socratic questioning, I have added 'statements' and 'products' to give the formula a broader relevance.
1. Look for ideas, (statements or products) which are believed to be plain common sense.
2. Try and find an exception to this idea (statement or product).
3. If an exception is found, this means your original idea (statement or product) is flawed or imprecise.
4. Nuance the original idea (statement or product) to take the imprecision (flaw) into account.
5. Keep trying to find imprecisions (flaws) in the idea (statement or product). The truth lies in these findings.
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