We can get others to reach the same conclusion as us by asking them the logical questions that lead to the conclusion for them to realize the conclusion for themselves instead of simply stating the conclusion in a sentence. This is a helpful method for avoiding conflicts of possible misunderstandings in an argument. Asking questions is a great method of explanation and was described by the Greek philosopher Socrates as useful for exploring complex ideas, getting the truth of things, to uncover assumptions, to analyze concepts, and more. This is a useful technique to implement in education for a teacher as it causes the students to do the thinking for themselves.
As a simple example of utilizing this argumentative strategy to prove a point, suppose you want to educate the other person or people about the claim in the theory of evolution of the migration of monkeys from Africa to the Americas and you want to argue that the correct theory that should be accepted by science is the theory of intelligent design. You can ask the following questions to prove the point you are arguing: Do monkeys float across the ocean? If the common ancestor of the monkeys didn't float across the ocean, then how is it possible that we have the same type of species in the Americas as in Africa and Asia? Is there any logical explanation to this? Or is the only other possibility the agency of a miracle? Would this mean that the correct theory that should be accepted by science is the theory of intelligent design?
(Greek philosopher Socrates)
© 2021 Hazon, Nir
