Dear Socrates: An Analysis of the Socratic Method

If you look past the heavily graffitied desks, you may find your lecture hall is a battleground of psychological warfare. Questions are the lecturer's ammunition and students are pinned against each other in a Hunger Games style reaping where we hope literally anyone else will get picked. This might be an exaggeration, but I’m sure Socrates wouldn’t mind.

The Socratic method is infamous among students as a controversial teaching style that has become synonymous with studying law. Developed by the Greek philosopher Socrates, the method is instigated by the lecturer’s continuous probing of questions on randomly selected students. There are several ways you can respond to the Socratic method, from getting out a coherent sentence to frantically scrolling through your lecture notes. 

Catching the student off guard supposedly reveals their underlying beliefs and opinions on a particular topic. In theory, it fosters critical thinking, allowing students to reach their own conclusions based on their self-analysis. In my experience, it often ends in awkward stammering or uncomfortable silence. 

The Socratic method was first used at Harvard Law School during the late 1800s and is now a pillar of the law school experience. However, students and professionals often criticise its effectiveness and justifications. Professor Duncan Kennedy from Harvard Law School described the method as an assault. “Students often respond physically and emotionally to questioning as though they were in the presence of a profound danger.” 

As a first-year Law student who is experiencing this teaching style for the first time, I wanted to investigate the Socratic Method, and whether or not it is a valuable way of learning or simply an uncomfortable rite of passage for Law students. 

From Legally Blonde to The Paper Chase, the media has demonstrated how stressful the Socratic method can be. It can be highly intimidating for students, even those with a good understanding of the course content. You never know when you’ll get called upon or on what topic you’ll be asked a question. Most of us can’t adapt to this as fast as Elle Woods in a studying montage. We are often shown the archetypal Law professor that lives to challenge and humiliate their students, as seen in The Paper Chase, which paints a torturous picture of student-teacher dynamics. 

Obviously, Law school isn’t exactly like the movies, and our professors aren’t out to embarrass us. How To Get Away With Murder showed the demanding yet effective use of the Socratic method and I found myself unexpectedly excited to have my own Annalise Keating.

The introduction of Socratic teaching was a source of unnerving anticipation. I was in my first Law course and I vividly remember the collective groan in the room when it was announced that the lecturer would be using the Socratic method. For weeks, many of us waited in anxiety for the day we all knew was coming. Would we know how to answer the questions we might be asked? Would we scramble to look at our notes or give a confident answer and receive the lecturer validation we all subconsciously want? When the day finally came, there were mixed reactions in the lecture hall. 

One of my friends said that they didn’t feel the Socratic method extended learning. “It’s just a 15-second spotlight placed on someone.” Another friend had more of an appreciation for the method. “The ominous nature of not knowing whether you’ll be called on inspired me to actually do my readings.” Excitement, fear, anxiety, and inspiration are similar feelings and motivators. Looking back on the early days of my Socratic experience, it’s slightly unclear to me whether it was inspiration or fear that motivated me to be adequately prepared.

Socratic is predominantly used in first and second-year courses and is made into a sort of theatrical spectacle. The goal is to get students comfortable with being put on the spot in the early stages of their degree. By the time third-year comes around, participation is much more natural and seamless. I spoke to a third-year Law student about what it’s like in the later years of the degree and they said, “I appreciate it, even though I don’t love it.” The Socratic method makes you do more work, both in the moment and in preparation for class. You won’t be stumbling in with a half-charged laptop and a Red Bull. 

The intensity of the Socratic method ultimately depends on the lecturer. Some may accept that you don’t know the answer and move on, and others might continue probing until they get an answer they deem acceptable. Some lecturers at VUW have been known to find a balance by providing students with a way to mark that they would not like to be called upon, such as wearing a pin. This gives willing students the opportunity to participate in discussions and share their opinions. Ensuring students’ comfort is crucial to providing an engaging education. 

I’ve overheard many conversations between students saying that they are scared and uncomfortable attending lectures at the risk of being called upon. This can be problematic and detrimental to students’ education as most law lectures are not recorded. I have found myself hesitating at the entrance of KKLT303 more times than I would like to admit. 

Professor Lee Godden, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), stated, "The dialogical [Socratic] method is seen as a way of inculcating learning based on a specific style of discussion-based learning and associated legal thought and logic.” The university told Salient the Socratic method is now more adequately termed as discussion-based learning or interactive teaching. The Law faculty acknowledge the potential discomfort students may face, stating,  “There are ways for teachers to allow other forms of class participation where students can participate in this form of learning.” 

Professor Godden also states, “If students do intend to practise as a legal professional, they may be regularly called upon to adopt this style of analysis and communication.” The faculty aims, however, to ensure the comfortable engagement of students, stating that they “are reviewing aspects of learning and teaching in the Faculty of Law, in strong consultation with students and academics. These discussions will include how a discussion-based, on-campus approach can best facilitate student learning.”

I still have conflicting feelings about the Socratic method, and the questions I have remain. Should it be used in Law courses? Do the positives outweigh the negatives? The controversy of the Socratic method has been present since its first application over one hundred years ago. It’s developed since then, and I see no reason why it can’t do the same now to be more inclusive of different learning styles. At the end of the day, it’s your education. To me, ensuring students’ comfortable engagement in their studies is crucial to a productive education, and the critical thinking skills that the Socratic method aims to target can only develop under those conditions.