Socratic maieutics: light to the conscience and pain for the soul!
Keywords:
logical argumentation; verbal chains; teaching method; zone of proximal developmentAbstract
Introduction: This article analyzes Socratic maieutics as a teaching method, arguing that its main objective is not discovery, but rather the active construction of knowledge by university students. Materials and methods: Employing the inductive-identificatory method of information gathering and processing, the study reveals that the structure of the maieutic method consists of three phases: problematizing reality, challenging the student's response, and resolving the contradiction. Results: The results highlight that this method activates fundamental psychological mechanisms such as the orienting reflex (Pavlov), cognitive dissonance, Piagetian disequilibrium, the active response principle (Skinner), and operates within the zone of proximal development (Vygotsky), generating cognitive tension that drives learning. Discussion: The discussion rejects the classification of maieutics as just another "active method," maintaining that all teaching is intrinsically active and that its true value lies in being a method for producing scientific knowledge, not merely a technique. Conclusions: It is concluded that Socratic maieutics is a fundamental and universal teaching method, effective in promoting critical thinking and the construction of accurate knowledge through guided dialogue and the systematic resolution of contradictions.
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