Apedia

Maieutic Ideas Method Bringing Thought Midwife May Yoo Tik Adjective

Maieutic is an adjective relating to or resembling the Socratic method of eliciting new ideas through dialogue.

Maïeutique est un adjectif relatif ou semblable à la méthode socratique d'élicitation de nouvelles idées par le dialogue.

Front maieutic \may-YOO-tik\
Back
adjective
Relating to or resembling the Socratic method of eliciting new ideas from another.

["Maieutic" comes from "maieutikos," the Greek word for "of midwifery." In one of Plato's "Dialogues," Socrates applies "maieutikos" to his method of bringing forth new ideas by reasoning and dialogue; he thought the technique analogous to those a midwife uses in delivering a baby (Socrates' mother was a midwife). A teacher who uses maieutic methods can be thought of as an intellectual midwife who assists students in bringing forth ideas and conceptions previously latent in their minds.]

"I am grateful to him for his maieutic inquiry about my own views, which had not crystallized." — From an article by William F. Buckley, Jr., in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 27, 1973

Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.

Next card: Vegete vuh-jeet adjective lively active vigorous latin vegere

Previous card: Sequacious inclined follow meaning sih-kway-shus adjective intellectually servile

Up to card list: Hard English Vocabulary