TITAN is an EU funded initiative aiming to counter the effects of online disinformation and fake news through an AI-enabled chatbot which supports users critical thinking in investigating content accuracy. This presentation by IPT introduced the TITAN team to the concept of the Socratic Method for logical investigation.

1. ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr
Socratic Dialogical Method
A Proposed Formal Model for TITAN

2. Socratic Methodologies
ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr
Leonard Nelson (1882 –1927)
Socrates (470–399 B.C.E)
Socratic maieutic
(dialectic philosophy)
1. ignorance (agnoia)
2. questioning (aporia)
3. logical refutation
(elenchus) of
unjustified claims
examination of good
life, true knwoledge
and virtue (arete)
Die Sokratische Methode
(dialogical philosophy)
1. searching for
examples
2. searching for
attributes
3. generalizing the
attributes
critical thinking,
evaluation of different
perspectives

3. Socratic Method in Education
ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr
• Not a fixed procedure.
• Systematic, disciplined, challenging, provocative (different
from common questioning and simple conversations).
• An open dialogue between a facilitator and person / group.
• Not a teaching method in the conventional way
("undeniable" facts and truths or "memorization”)
• An open-teaching with shared dialogues between people
where both are responsible for pushing the dialogue
forward through questioning
Paul & Edler (2006) The Art of
Socratic Questioning. The
Foundation for Critical Thinking

4. Socratic Method in Education
ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr
• concept
• opinion
Question
• question
• challenge
Method
• defined
• justified
Goal
Content Substratum

5. Socratic Method in Education
ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr
Paul & Edler (2006) The Art of
Socratic Questioning. The
Foundation for Critical Thinking
Contextualization
Content
Mechanics
of
Questioning
Human
Subject

6. ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr
1. Wonder (pose questions: what is courage, what is
virtue)
2. Hypothesis (answer: opinion or claim, the hypothesis
of the dialogue is defined);
3. Elenchus (hypothesis is challenged, counter-claims,
counter-examples)
4. Accept / Reject (hypothesis accepted or rejected by
the participants themselves)
5. Action (inquiry results and findings)
(Boghossian, 2012)
Paul & Edler (2006) The Art of
Socratic Questioning. The
Foundation for Critical Thinking
Socratic Method in Education

7. ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr
Inquiry (doubting,
questioning, clarifying)
Hypothesis (probing
assumptions,
definitions, opinions)
Rationale (examining
reasons, evidences,
facts)
Analysis (recognizing
different perspectives,
viewpoints)
Evaluation (considering
implications and
consequences)
Question on the
Questions (conclusions,
reconsidering the
question)
Paul & Edler (2006) The Art of
Socratic Questioning. The
Foundation for Critical Thinking
Socratic Method in Education

8. Socratic Method in Educational Technology
ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr
(1) (quasi-Socratic): encourages participation and promote
intellectual curiosity and the joy of learning. Examples: digital
applications such as "Socrative", "Nearpod" and "ClassDojo"
(Dunn, 2014)
(2) (real-Socratic): encourages critical thinking and intelligent
coaching (probing questions, explore relationships among
concepts and ideas, play devil’s advocate). Examples: Intelligent
Tutoring System (ITS)
Le & Huse, N. (2016)
Paul & Edler (2006) The Art of
Socratic Questioning. The
Foundation for Critical Thinking

9. Socratic Formal Methods
ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr
Le & Huse, N. (2016)
“Evaluation of the Formal
Models for the Socratic
Method”

10. ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr

11. Proposed Formal Method
ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr

12. ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ & ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ
Λ. Χρονοπούλου 20, 17455, Άλιμος
Τ: +30 2109816297 – info@ipt.gr
Proposed Formal Method