Sober Philosophy: AI & Socratic Prompting (Marina presents, AL10)

In this session we’ll explore “Socratic prompting” — a way of using AI inspired by the ancient Socratic method of dialogue.

Instead of treating the model as an oracle that simply delivers answers, Socratic prompting treats it as a reflective partner that helps you clarify your own thinking, expose hidden assumptions, and refine your questions before landing on any conclusion. We’ll begin by tracing where Socratic prompting comes from philosophically. The Socratic method, named after the Athenian philosopher Socrates, is a style of dialogue in which a teacher doesn’t lecture but instead asks probing questions to help the interlocutor uncover contradictions, test definitions, and refine their beliefs. In AI, this becomes Socratic prompting because we design prompts that invite the model to ask clarifying questions, challenge its own reasoning, and explore alternatives — just as Socrates did with his fellow citizens in Athens.

We’ll then look at what Socratic prompting is — and what it is not.
- It is a conversational, iterative style where you:
- Make your assumptions explicit.
- Ask the AI to define terms, identify hidden premises, and test counterexamples.
- Follow up with “Why?” repeatedly until the foundations of an idea are exposed.
- Use hypotheticals (“What if the opposite were true?”) to stretch the reasoning.
- It is not just a way to speed up simple factual recall or to get a polished answer without any joint exploration. Socratic prompting is less about getting an answer fast and more about making the path to the answer visible and defensible.

We’ll share a concrete example from Socrates himself to ground the idea. In Plato’s Euthyphro, Socrates questions Euthyphro about the meaning of “piety” (what is religiously right). He starts with a seemingly simple definition—“the pious is what the gods love”—and then asks increasingly precise questions:
- “Do the gods sometimes disagree with one another?”
- “Then can the same action be both pious and impious?”
By exposing contradictions and forcing Euthyphro to revise his definition again and again, Socrates shows that the question is far more complex than it first appeared. The dialogue ends with Euthyphro unsure of what “piety” really is—exactly what Socrates wanted: not a ready‑made answer, but a deeper awareness of the difficulty of the concept and the need to think more carefully.

Finally, we’ll discuss why Socratic prompting can be so powerful with AI. By treating the model as a kind of “thinking partner” rather than a vending machine, we can:
- Surface our own biases and unexamined assumptions.
- Strengthen our reasoning under complexity, ambiguity, or ethical trade‑offs.
- Learn with the machine, not just from it—turning the interaction into a kind of collaborative inquiry.

During the session, we’ll work through a hands‑on example of how to build a Socratic‑style dialogue with an AI yourself, so you can apply this everyday work and decision‑making.

Symptom-free (of potentially contagious disease) people with the capacity to listen considerately to diverse viewpoints are invited to attend after successfully RSVPing.

We begin the meeting at 7:30 pm sharp at the mezzanine above the lobby of the Graduate Hotel in the University District: 4507 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105.

Directions for first-timers at the Graduate Hotel:
From the front hotel entrance go to the right. Turn left around the corner to enter through the north valet entrance. If the valet questions you just say you're here for the philosophy group. Go straight to the main lobby and turn right behind the large bookshelves before the elevators. Enter the stairway on your left, go up one flight, and go through the first door you encounter to enter our meeting area.

AMAZON FORMAT (AZF):
We will begin the meeting by taking turns reading sections from the descriptive text above aloud together.

OPENING ROUNDTABLE FORMAT (ORF):

1. The topic presenter begins the discussion by explaining why they are interested in the topic and some introductory thoughts on it.
2. Each participant in turn going clockwise from the presenter describes their general thoughts on the topic.
3. If one is not ready to speak they can just say “pass” and the next person speaks.
4. After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to comment.
5. Once everyone has given opening remarks or passed twice, Opening Roundtable is completed and the meeting shifts into its main format.

TIMED DIRECTION FORMAT (TDRF>4):
If there are more than 4 people present we will use the format below.

1. We will divide up the timed direction discussion time by the number of participants plus one (for a buffer). A timer will be set for this amount of time.
2. Each participant in turn will become a Discussion Director and lead the group discussion.
3. If one is not ready to direct they dimply say “pass” and the next person becomes the Discussion Director.
4. Anyone who arrives after step 1 (above), may participate but will not get a turn as Discussion Director.
5. The Discussion Director can make statements or ask questions, or interrupt or redirect the discussion at their discretion.
6. The discussion participants can state their own opinions only when asked by the Discussion Director, not Interrupt others and accede to the Discussion Director’s interruptions or redirections.
7. When the timer goes off the person speaking finishes their thought and then the next participant clockwise becomes the next Discussion Director.
8. After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to direct.

At the end of the meeting, participants will have an opportunity to vote on the topic and format for the following meeting.