Jon Benson

What does a philosopher teach? The Socratic answer states that the teacher of philosophy does not teach philosophical knowledge, for it cannot be taught. Instead, the philosopher must prod and assist students as they endeavor to understand and examine truth claims. This is why Socrates referred to himself as a midwife, that is, as one who aids the student in giving birth to knowledge. His point is this: philosophical learning is not a passive reception and storing of facts. It consists of acquiring ideas to which the student gives assent because they have been brought forth through the student’s own vigorous activity of intellect, feeling and will.

The Socratic method for philosophical instruction is, therefore, dialectical. And it is this tool of teaching that I have cultivated during my years in the college classroom. The better portion of my lecturing consists of posing questions and fielding responses. I cause my students to examine these responses with additional questioning, which leads to another round of response. In this fashion I guide the class through a process of dialectical reasoning characterized by increasing conceptual refinement. By exercising their intellect in the formation of response the attentive students, no less than I, contribute to this process.

In this way, over the course of a semester, two educational goals are achieved. First, students receive training and practice in critical thinking. Secondly, genuine philosophical knowledge is acquired. Neither of these achievements resulted from a passive memory based experience, but are the product of the active rational energies of the student.

In achieving these goals students engage in a process of actualizing that which constitutes one of the enduring purposes of human life, namely, fulfillment of the curiosity to know truth. And it has all along been the pursuit of this fulfillment upon which rests the motivational foundation of the Academy.