I find the phrase “Socratic method” problematically ambiguous between Vaniver’s usage and Plato’s.
I agree that this ambiguity exists, and dislike that it exists. Generally, when there’s an ambiguity between ancient use and modern use, I go with the modern use, because moderns read what I write much more than ancients do. The phrase seems to have broadened to “lead by questioning,” not necessarily to a contradiction, which even then isn’t quite right, because I often want to lead them to a clear description of what they think, not someplace I’ve decided on. I probably ought to just call it “gentle questioning.”
(For example, I think “man” was a beautifully inclusive word- it originally meant “mind,” and so meant basically “all sapient beings,” and so things like “one giant leap for mankind” also includes any of our robotic descendants, say- but that was at a time when “male adult” was “wer” and “female adult” was “wif,” and now that both of those are out of style “man” mostly means “male adult.”)
Absolutely agreed on all counts, but I find that the ancient (and currently mostly negative) usage of “Socratic method” is still alive enough in my social circle that it’s worth taking into consideration.
I agree that this ambiguity exists, and dislike that it exists. Generally, when there’s an ambiguity between ancient use and modern use, I go with the modern use, because moderns read what I write much more than ancients do. The phrase seems to have broadened to “lead by questioning,” not necessarily to a contradiction, which even then isn’t quite right, because I often want to lead them to a clear description of what they think, not someplace I’ve decided on. I probably ought to just call it “gentle questioning.”
(For example, I think “man” was a beautifully inclusive word- it originally meant “mind,” and so meant basically “all sapient beings,” and so things like “one giant leap for mankind” also includes any of our robotic descendants, say- but that was at a time when “male adult” was “wer” and “female adult” was “wif,” and now that both of those are out of style “man” mostly means “male adult.”)
Absolutely agreed on all counts, but I find that the ancient (and currently mostly negative) usage of “Socratic method” is still alive enough in my social circle that it’s worth taking into consideration.