Socrates: questioning worldviews | Religious education

Starter quiz

A person who loves wisdom and seeks knowledge about existence, reality and values is known as a ...
- 'philosopher' ✓
Which of the following is an example of an ultimate question?
- How old is the earth?
- What is the purpose of life? ✓
- How many countries are in the world?
- What will the weather be like tomorrow?
What does a philosopher use to structure their arguments?
- 'logic' ✓
What order should the steps in organising and evaluating a logical argument take place in?
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  identify the ultimate question
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  present premises
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  draw a conclusion
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  use logic to evaluate the argument
An argument in philosophy is sound if it is valid and its ______ are true.
- 'premises' ✓
Match the argument to the correct description.
- invalid argument
  
  ⇔
  
  The conclusion follows logically, but premises may be false. ✓
- sound argument
  
  ⇔
  
  The conclusion follows logically, and all premises are true. ✓
- valid argument
  
  ⇔
  
  The conclusion does not follow logically. ✓
- unsound argument
  
  ⇔
  
  The argument is invalid and has at least one false premise. ✓

Exit quiz

Put these Ancient Greek philosophers in order from the earliest to the latest in time.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Plato
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Socrates
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Aristotle
What did Socrates mean by 'the unexamined life is not worth living'?
- Only intelligent people need to examine their life.
- You should doubt everything you are told.
- We should not take time to enjoy life.
- Thinking about your actions and beliefs is important for a good life. ✓
What is the aim of Socratic questioning?
- To provide answers to questions.
- To encourage critical thinking. ✓
- To argue for a particular belief.
- To avoid difficult conversations.
Match the Socratic question style to the correct example.
- questions asking for clarification
  
  ⇔
  
  What do you mean by good? ✓
- questions about reasons
  
  ⇔
  
  Why do you think pleasure is good? ✓
- questions about consequences
  
  ⇔
  
  What if something is good for some and not for others? ✓
What is the correct order of events?
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  The oracle in Delphi declared Socrates the wisest man in Athens.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Socrates questioned politicians, poets and craftsmen of Athens.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Socrates discovered that many people did not have deep knowledge.
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  Socrates realised the oracle was correct because he knew he knew nothing.
What might Socrates have meant when he described himself as a 'gadfly'?
- He annoyed people to provoke them into thinking more deeply. ✓
- He bothered people with pointless questions.
- He tried to force people to change their minds.
- He spread gossip around Athens.

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

Socrates was an Ancient Greek philosopher who challenged the Athenian worldview.
Socrates used a questioning style known as Socratic questioning which is still in use today.
Socrates claimed 'the unexamined life is not worth living'.
Socrates was sentenced to death for his beliefs.

Common misconception

Socratic questioning is just about asking difficult questions.

Socratic questioning is a disciplined method of inquiry which includes specific question styles.

Keywords

Critical thinking - the ability to think clearly and make good decisions
Socrates - an Ancient Greek philosopher famous for his style of questioning
Socratic questioning - a teaching style attributed to Socrates that involves asking questions
Worldview - a person's way of understanding, experiencing and responding to the world