About Socratic Dialectic

The ability of Dialectic to shift mindsets and illuminate our thought processes has stood the test of time for over 2,000 years. At its highest level, it is the art of dialogue or discussion, an art that is governed by tried and tested principles. Albeit Socrates used the dialectic method to explore some of the great philosophical questions: Can virtue be taught? What is justice? What is courage?, it can be used just as effectively in our everyday interactions in the 21st century, from the canteen to the boardroom.

Dialectic is not so much about arriving at definitions and theories as it is about questioning and examining our ideas and assumptions about things and people. Engaging in this examination is what sets us free from our habitual thinking and fixed positions. Dialectic will move us beyond the realm of personal opinion, hidden agendas and big egos towards an infinite world of new possibilities and discoveries, where innovative solutions and real creativity are accessed.

Referred to as the 'coping stone of the sciences', the effects of Socratic Dialectic are fully appreciated through experience. Its most unique characteristic is its transformative effect on those who practice it as well as on those with whom it is practiced.

Wherever We Are

The study and practice of Dialectic, over time, provides us with an armoury of skills and tools which we will then be able to call on depending on the demands or challenges of any particular situation, task or role.

We may be a parent engaging with our rebellious teenage son or daughter, or we may be on the board of an organisation tasked with making vital decisions that will affect thousands of stakeholders; we may be a CEO trying to sort out our senior management team or a senior manager needing to address a sensitive issue of performance with a staff member; we may be an elected government official trying to lead change and bring people with us, a teacher passionate about imparting a love of our subject to our students, a training manager tasked with the responsibility of resolving a situation of conflict, or a young new staff member on the front lines who is looking for innovative ways to respond to the needs of a customer...whatever our role, whatever the level, whatever the nature of our work, the application of Dialectic and its related disciplines will result in the most creative, reasonable, harmonious, intelligent, and innovative outcomes possible – outcomes which far exceed anything we would have previously imagined.

And we needn’t sit around conducting Socratic dialogues all day in order to engage in Dialectic and reap the benefits. More than a method of discourse and far more than mere question and answer, Dialectic is an approach, a way of operating which can be activated in every single task and interaction, from the mundane to the extraordinary, quietly by oneself or openly with hundreds of people. Is this not after all what Socrates meant when he said that we should all become "more dialectical”? We think so.

Characteristics of Dialectic

The characteristics of the Dialectic approach are as follows:

• Raises people out of ingrained and habitual ways of thinking.
• Asks questions and enquires rather than tells, presents or lectures.
• Meets people where they are and dispels any resistance, fostering willingness and participation.
• Creates space for reflection and re-examination which allows new insights to arise.
• Loosens fixed or preconceived ideas and sheds light on unexamined assumptions.
• Builds self reliance, confidence and fearlessness, empowering people to explore issues and discover the answers and solutions themselves.
• Creates a non-threatening environment where sensitive or delicate issues can be addressed openly and effectively.
• Ensures that people take responsibility for their thinking and behaviour.
• Fosters a lasting spirit of enquiry and curiosity which safeguards against the 'repeating the past' mentality.
• Enables people to overcome self-imposed limits and change their behaviour.
• Gives people greater autonomy over, and eventually mastery of, their own development.

Training in Dialectic

We offer a programme which brings people through the principles and skills of Socratic Dialectic. The culmination of over 25 years of experience, research and study, it is one of the only programmes of its kind in the world.

For more information on Dialectic please contact us >