Obtain The Socratic Method: A Practitioner's Handbook Picturized By Ward Farnsworth Issued As File

example does not a handbook make

Perhaps more examples as you read through the book not waiting until the very end to give examples of how to recognize and/or implement.


One example does not a handbook make I didn't know how much I missed Socrates, but then again I knew him by nameonly before this book the author is smart and has a friendly writing style despite the complex topic.
. . I must also admit that much of this is over my head, but the basic concept that we need a more sane tool for public discourse, one that represents a patient, fearless, humble search for truth and knowledge, one that bypasses the inherently poisonous pitfalls of social media, is a concept I can endorse.
. . So, as an alternative to modern communication styles and their partisan shaming, lying and censoring, I choose Socrates as my hero and the Socratic method as my approach.
. . thanks Plato A great book that breaks down the principles of the socratic method through thorough research and straightforward writing.
The author writes of the techniques used by Socrates and Plato and uses specific examples to show how to progress the readers understanding of the socratic methods described.
I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for ways to engage in difficult discussions and offer new perspectives to other people who might seem unreasonable in their personal beliefs.


I also wanted to include my opinion on the socratic method as food for thought: The most difficult aspect to the socratic method is your dedication as a practitioner to remain committed in the belief that it is worthwhile to work towards a better understanding of the topic you discuss because it assumes a caring towards the other persons understanding as much as your own.
This practice will be more difficult if the other person is antagonistic towards you or your beliefs but keeping this mindset amongst difficult discussions will help in cultivating lasting relationships with those you care about and in building a better community.
The cover is provocative and slyly misleading, There is no discussion about modern politics but does throughly show contempt for the state of modern discourse, The Socratic Method shows an alternative which emphasizes the importance of dialogue as something difficult and uncomfortable but essential to the Ancient conception of the Good Life.
Today, where every private thought has the potential to be a public one, the most important Socratic dialogue is the one which occurs within oneself.


Ward Farnsworth has written three previous books on the use of language and one prior book on philosophy.
All have the same format and is a compilation of various quotes with commentary, He reminds me of that genre of writing that was popularized by Alain DeBotton many years ago, the socalled intelligent persons self help book.
However, he far surpasses that genre of writing by not just being intelligent, but precise and almost academic, A law professor and legal scholar, his interest in philosophy and words is that of a very thorough layman, His books are wonderful because the quotes are so carefully organized and his commentary so succinct and wellcrafted, Unlike Alain deBotton and his ilk, he is rarely reductionist,

The Socratic Method shows an understanding of the vast literature already available of the philosophical dialogues of Plato and is regarded by its author as a prequel to his other book, the Practicing Stoic.
It is an explanation of the method rooted in a strong command of the writings of Plato,

This book was meant to be a tonic to the “riot of hypocrisy” in modern discourse and its medium, social media.
He makes the comparison early on of the refuted theory that lead pipes caused the fall of the Roman Empire and its apt parallel to social media as the lead pipes which are poisoning its participants, blunting rather than enhancing understanding and creating a culture of outrage and mutual incomprehension.


Definitely a book much needed for our times, I found this book while looking for pedagogical book on the Socratic method, I have used the term "Socratic method" interchangeable with really just having a dialogue instead of a lecture, While this book doesn't necessarily claim to be a pedagogical guide to the Socratic method, it does claim classrooms could benefit from it.
Farnsworth also does an excellent job at defining the Socratic method by identifying patterns in the source material, even though Socrates himself never defines the method himself.


A really great book, and one I will reference in the future, If you are in the business of teaching or persuading, then this book is worth reading, If there is one thing of value to retain here, it is this: if you want to persuade someone of something, particularly if the subject matter is an emotional one, your goto tactic should be to spend a lot of time listening first.
Once that person feels that they've been heard, that they've been allowed to explain themselves, they are far more likely to listen to what you have to say.


Why are they then more likely to listen to you First, in the course of explaining themselves, if allowed to do so at sufficient length, they will begin to appreciate the limitations of their own understanding.
Second, you will have established a level of trust with one another such that it becomes possible to search for common ground.
Third, by allowing the other person the right to speak, you yourself obtain the right to speak,

As someone who teaches for a living, this method sounds very attractive but hard to implement given the sheer number of students in a classroom.
I think it requires some strategizing about how organize a class in order to give students sufficient right to speak, and probably also requires allowing some subset of students to

act as spokespeople for a particular point of view.


The author himself is a law professor, and so knows a thing or two about the classroom and how to apply his approach in that setting.
The book is well worth a read, Loved it. This is a book Ill want to reread every few years to refresh the lessons, I minored in philosophy for a year and covered a lot of these writings it was all interesting but I wish Id come across more books like this one.
It quotes passages from the original texts, sure, but always in support of a modern light, The book uses language that is easy to digest today, where the arcane language of the original texts requires a lot of deliberate effort to cut through it to get to the meaning beneath at least for me.
I loved that it was frank about how difficult these kinds of dialogues are to have with other people in practice, and it made the point repeatedly that these dialogues are things that can and should actually be done entirely in your own head to test your own beliefs.
The especially appreciated the last chapters that took all the lessons of how the Socratic method works and applied them to some examples of modern day issues.
Its also a testament to the writing that I have no idea what the authors political beliefs are,

Cant recommend this book highly enough, Ive tried over the years to adapt Socratic dialogue and methods to my classroom, Its not always easy or feasible due to large class sizes or being online, Ward Farnsworth book reinvigorates my motivation to do so and also gives me some helpful ideas on how I might continue to adapt Socratic methods.
Its not a teaching guide, though, but his discussion of the methods, the examples he uses, and the identification of the core processes and principles of the method will help me in using more of these methods in the classroom.


The book actually got a lot more into Socrates qua philosopher than I expected, The publisher is clearly trying to sell the book as an antidote to the stupidity, fruitlessness, and antagonistic ways in which contemporary conversations so often go especially online.
Farnsworth does discuss that, but really only in the last few chapters, Most of the book is a dive into Socrates and his use of the methods as depicted in Platos dialogues.
He explores how the method encapsulates not just a way of reasoning, but a way of living, Farnsworth also explore Socrates influence on later philosophers, including the Stoics and the Skeptics,

I enjoyed the book, Its clearly written with no presumption of a philosophic background, It lacks pretension and jargon, I learned a lot from it, The book is not just meant for philosophers or teachers its really meant for anyone who wants to know how to think more clearly and engage in more rational and productive conversations with others.

I am quite interested by Plato and Socrates, so I though this might work, but I couldn't finish it.
It is a scholarly work, He is quite knowledgeable, but I found the prose flat and uninteresting, I have read better books on the socratic method, A thinking person's guide to a better life, Ward Farnsworth explains what the Socratic method is, how it works, and why it matters more than ever in our time.
Easy to grasp yet challenging to master, the method will change the way you think about life's big questions,

About,years ago, Plato wrote a set of dialogues that depict Socrates in conversation, The way Socrates asks questions, and the reasons why, amount to a whole way of thinking, This is the Socratic methodone of humanity's great achievements, More than a technique, the method is an ethic of patience, inquiry, humility, and doubt, It is an aid to better thinking, and a remedy for bad habits of mind, whether in law, politics, the classroom, or tackling life's big questions at the kitchen table.


Drawing on hundreds of quotations, this book explains what the Socratic method is and how to use it.
Chapters include Question and Answer, Ignorance, The Socratic Classroom, and Socrates and the Stoics.
Socratic philosophy is still startling after all these years because it is an approach to asking hard questions and chasing after them.
It is a route to wisdom and a way of thinking about wisdom, With Farnsworth as your guide, the ideas of Socrates are easier to understand than ever and accessible to anyone,

As Farnsworth achieved with The Practicing Stoic and the Farnsworth's Classical English series, ideas of old are made new and vital again.
This book is for those coming to philosophy the way Socrates didas the everyday activity of making sense out of life and how to live itand for anyone who wants to know what he said about doing that better.
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