The Socratic Method (Personal Application):
Question Categories for Self-Inquiry:
Clarification Questions:
- What do I mean when I say...?
- Could I give myself an example?
- How does this relate to what I already know?
- What are the key assumptions I'm making?
Evidence and Reasoning Questions:
- What evidence supports my belief?
- How did I come to this conclusion?
- What might contradict my view?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of my reasoning?
Implication Questions:
- If this is true, what follows?
- What are the consequences of this belief?
- How does this fit with other things I know?
- What questions does this raise?
Perspective Questions:
- How might someone else view this?
- What are alternative ways of looking at this?
- What are the advantages of this view?
- What might I be missing?
Meta-Questions:
- Why is this question important to me?
- What does this question assume?
- How does this question relate to bigger issues?
- What makes this question difficult to answer?
The 5W+H Framework (Enhanced):
Who:
- Who is involved or affected?
- Who has expertise in this area?
- Who might disagree with this view?
- Who benefits from the current situation?
What:
- What exactly is happening?
- What are the key components?
- What is the evidence?
- What are the alternatives?
When:
- When did this occur or start?
- When is this most/least relevant?
- When might this change?
- When should action be taken?
Where:
- Where does this happen?
- Where else might this apply?
- Where can I find more information?
- Where are the boundaries of this issue?
Why:
- Why is this important?
- Why does this happen?
- Why might someone disagree?
- Why should I care about this?
How:
- How does this work?
- How can this be improved?
- How does this relate to other things?
- How can I verify this?