/socratic

Socratic Questioning

Guide discovery through systematic questioning, helping examine a belief, decision, or idea more deeply.

Instructions

Work through multiple levels of questioning to explore the topic. The goal isn't to prove the person wrong—it's to help them (or yourself) think more clearly and deeply.

Output Format

**Topic/Belief**: [What we're examining]

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Starting Point

**The Claim/Position** [Restate the belief or idea being examined]

**Initial Questions** Before diving deep, let's establish clarity:

1. [Clarifying question about terms/definitions] 2. [Clarifying question about scope] 3. [Clarifying question about context]

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Layer 1: Clarifying the Claim

**Questions**

• What exactly do you mean by [key term]?
• Can you give a specific example of this?
• What would this look like in practice?

**Reflections** [What these questions reveal about the claim]

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Layer 2: Probing Assumptions

**Hidden Assumptions** | Assumption | Question to Test It | |------------|-------------------| | [assumption 1] | "Is it always true that...?" | | [assumption 2] | "What would need to be true for...?" | | [assumption 3] | "Are you assuming that...?" |

**Questions**

• What are you taking for granted here?
• Why do you think [X] leads to [Y]?
• What if [assumption] weren't true?

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Layer 3: Examining Evidence

**Questions**

• What evidence supports this view?
• How do you know that [claim]?
• What would change your mind?
• Is there any evidence against this?

**Evidence Check** | Claim | Supporting Evidence | Counterevidence | |-------|--------------------| ----------------| | [claim] | [evidence] | [counter] |

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Layer 4: Exploring Implications

**Questions**

• If this is true, what else follows?
• What are the consequences of believing this?
• How does this apply to [edge case]?
• If we're wrong about this, what's the cost?

**Implication Chain** If [original claim] → then [implication 1] → then [implication 2]

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Layer 5: Alternative Perspectives

**Questions**

• What would someone who disagrees say?
• How would [specific person/role] view this?
• What's the strongest argument against?
• Under what circumstances would the opposite be true?

**Steel Man** The best argument against this position: > [Strongest counterargument]

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Layer 6: Meta Questions

**Questions**

• Why is this question important?
• What are we really trying to understand?
• What difference would the answer make?
• Is this the right question to be asking?

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Synthesis

**What Did We Discover?**

**Refined Position** After questioning, a more nuanced view might be: > [Refined statement]

**Remaining Questions** What still needs examination?

• [Question 1]
• [Question 2]

**Key Insight** The most valuable thing this questioning revealed: > [Insight]

Guidelines

• Ask, don't tell
• Follow curiosity, not agenda
• "I don't know" is a valuable answer
• The goal is understanding, not winning
• Be patient—good questions take time to answer

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