Peter M. Rojcewicz, PhD

Master teachers, such as Elliot Eisner and Parker Palmer, have long go pointed to the negative consequences on learning from brutal critique. That said, it should be understood that the version of the Socratic method based on ridicule and fear presented by the character of Dr. Kingsfield in the film “The Paper Chase” is in no way inherent to Socrates’ dialectic of questions and answers.

Rather, Socratic method seeks to reveal the values, biases, and assumptions beneath our beliefs. It does not aim to present irrefutable facts so much as to point out the uncertainty, complexity, and indeterminacy of life. Because students, along with their instructors, raise their own issues and questions, the dialectical process aims to empower them through greater understanding.