The Socratic method of investigation, the elenchus, is explained by example in the five dialogues of Plato. In Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito, Plato's character Socrates uses elenchus as a means of challenging his interlocutors. If an Athenian claims to know a subject, Socrates sets out to prove that this knowledge is unfounded. With Elenchus, Socrates analyzes the incongruities of widespread beliefs. In doing so, he achieves his goal of rendering his interlocutors incapable of drawing definitive conclusions about their wisdom, thereby frustrating and embarrassing them. However, Socrates aims not only to publicly shame the interlocutor, but above all to examine unexamined beliefs and prove that these beliefs are often platitudes. What ultimately emerges from the Elenchus is not a revised definition of unexamined beliefs, but rather an understanding that humans are ignorant beings and cannot provide concrete knowledge on every subject. Through his representation of Socrates, Plato gives us an erudite ignorance. Once we understand that we lack knowledge, we must no longer live by hollow and contradictory beliefs. Instead, we can begin to question our beliefs on our own; we can live a more meaningful, more valuable and happier life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay We first encounter exposition of Elenchus when Socrates meets Euthyphro at the courthouse in the dialogue Euthyphros. In discussing his indictment with Socrates, Euthyphro claims to “have precise knowledge” of the divine (5a). This is an example of an empty assertion of knowledge that Socrates will not let go of without being questioned. In order to engage Euthyphro in elenchus, Socrates asks him to explain “what is the pious and what is the impious” (5d). We discover in the following discussion, during which Socrates questions the contradictions within each of Euthyphros' definitions, that part of the nature of the elenchus is to attempt to identify ambiguous concepts using " a form” (5d). Socrates wants Euthyphro to encompass the nature of piety into a single form that can be applied to all situations to determine whether something is pious or not. The result is that Euthyphro becomes frustrated, as he tells Socrates, "whatever proposition we put forward, it goes round in circles and refuses to stay where we establish it" (11b). This is a goal of the Socratic method of investigation; this leads the interlocutor to realize that his claims of knowledge are in fact erroneous and ill-founded, so as to expose him to aporia, or divine confusion. In Apology, Socrates stands before the court and defends his method of imparting his wisdom to another. Athenians by shedding light on its origins and intentions. He first refers to the “god of Delphi as witness to the existence and nature of [his] wisdom,” who is said to have declared that no man was wiser than Socrates (21a). Socrates is considered wise because “he understands that his wisdom is worthless” (23b). This means that Socrates knows that humans are not capable of fully understanding the world; the wisdom of morality, values ​​and the divine is beyond our reach. Since humans only have concrete knowledge of what is ephemeral, human knowledge is not of much use. Socrates grasps this concept and attempts to pass it on to other Athenians by engaging them in the Elenchus. Although its intention is to help bring about thisconscience to the citizens of Athens, Socrates' method of questioning their beliefs ultimately turns the citizens against them. him. They are humiliated when Socrates uses elenchus to make them appear unintelligent in public and they are unwilling to accept that their beliefs are so easily questioned. As a result, Socrates is brought to trial and sentenced to death. Crito attempts to persuade Socrates to escape this death sentence in the Crito dialogue. Here Socrates uses the elenchus again, this time with a good friend. Socrates has already made up his mind about how a person should behave when condemned by the state, and he is determined to adhere to those beliefs, not being persuaded by vanity to change his mind because he finds himself in a compromised position. This is an application of the idea of ​​"form" that he first mentioned in Euthyphro. Socrates believes that everyone, including him, must carry out their sentence, because all citizens are subject to the laws of the state to which they belong. Since Socrates believes that a tacit social agreement between the citizen and the state always exists and that just agreements must be respected, he must fulfill his sentence for the sake of his character and his posterity. He uses elenchus, again involving a very complicated and multi-layered rationalization, to prove to Crito that he must honor this principle, even when his own life is at stake. By synthesizing these examples, we can identify the mechanics of the elenchus. In an ideal inquiry, Socrates begins by asking the interlocutor to assert his “knowledge” about some kind of moral conundrum. Then, using reason and a series of compelling questions, Socrates makes the interlocutor make a contradictory statement. When the two statements are juxtaposed, the inconsistencies of the belief are uncovered, leading the interlocutor into aporia. It is traditionally problematic to be confused, but achieving aporia or possessing Socratic wisdom is a different kind of confusion; it can be very beneficial for the soul. In Apology, Socrates is said to have thought that “it is the highest good for a man to discuss virtue every day…for an unexamined life is not worth living for men” (38a). Examining life is about being completely honest with yourself and strengthening your integrity, which gives you a better, more fulfilling life. By questioning supposedly intractable beliefs using elenchus, Socrates enlightens people, and renders them a great service; it teaches people that, because they are ignorant, they should question and examine their beliefs more often so as not to continue believing in errors. Even if it does not always provide a distinct definition of concepts, the Elenchus at least proves that conventional definitions of these concepts are ill-conceived and should no longer be considered truths. Additionally, learning the depths of your own ignorance by spending time examining your beliefs is not only important because it reveals the errors behind them, but it also gives you insight into why you actually believe them. For example, why do so many people believe that a higher being decides which action is right and which is wrong? Instead, could actions be intrinsically good or bad, independent of a higher being? If so, then why do we hold this being's opinion on the matter in such high regard? It's exam questions like these that lead people to have a better understanding of their beliefs and a better understanding of themselves. The search for this identity will lead to..