**The Socratic Method, Session IV — Chapter 12 & The Epilogue**
We continue our journey through *The Socratic Method – A Practitioner’s Handbook* by Ward Farnsworth with Session IV, where we turn our attention to what happens when inquiry doesn’t lead to neat conclusions. These chapters explore what it means to get comfortable with not knowing, and what kind of character the method builds when practiced sincerely.
Chapter 12 and the Epilogue challenge us not just to sharpen questions, but to live with a deepened sense of intellectual integrity, self-awareness, and restraint. They ask us to stay present in the tension of not having answers—and to see that as progress.

***

### What We’ll Be Exploring:

#### **Chapter 12 – Aporia**

Aporia is the moment of philosophical puzzlement—when our questions outpace our conclusions. This isn’t a failure of logic—it’s a mark of growth.

* Aporia arises when false certainty breaks down.
* It signals the beginning of real philosophical work.
* Socrates often left others in aporia to shake them out of assumption.
* It teaches us to pause instead of pretend to know.

#### **The Epilogue – The Virtues of the Method**

This chapter reminds us that the method is about more than tools—it’s about the kind of person we become by using them.

* It cultivates humility, patience, and resilience.
* It sharpens curiosity without turning it combative.
* It creates better thinkers—not just better arguments.
* It aligns directly with Stoic values: clarity, reason, and self-mastery.

***

### **In-Class Exercise:**

Each participant will bring a belief they genuinely hold—something central to their worldview, values, or identity. Their task is not to defend it, but to open it to inquiry.
The group will then explore the belief using:

* All Socratic tools learned thus far (definitions, analogies, elenchus, distinctions, etc.)
* The rules of dialogue (Chapter 10)
* A mindset of Socratic ignorance (Chapter 11)
* A willingness to enter aporia (Chapter 12)
* The virtues outlined in the Epilogue

The goal is not to disprove anyone—but to create space for refinement, deeper clarity, or even healthy uncertainty.

***

### **Required Reading**

Please read **Chapters 1 through 12 and the Epilogue** before the meetup to prepare for both discussion and exercise.

* 📥 [Free PDF – Students of Stoicism](https://studentsofstoicism.com/online-resources)
* [🎧 Audible Version](https://www.audible.com/pd/B09557VQ7Y?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=pdp)
* [📖 ](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09557VQ7Y)[Paperback on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Socratic-Method-Practitioners-Handbook/dp/1567926851/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XNf12pjILAP_PZtWOg6O-anB-PSa7ZLb020SO5AUndI9yBmP0WrhzkNwEfYzqkv7lWvlkjkrpm8BFcECYKb0wOZf9Wj2bU0PKfUzwfH1I9NS1rvw1MTJru-iou8X_X9t.uZ7ZO7YcawfURwm9nJ6G3uHeHDwc_jT3h7dFpBz3M1k&qid=1746313803&sr=8-1)

***

**Additional Resources**
Want more context or need help with Stoic terms used in the book?

* Learn more about the Three Pillars: [studentsofstoicism.com/about-stoicism](http://studentsofstoicism.com/about-stoicism)
* New to Stoic terms? Visit the SoS Glossary: [https://studentsofstoicism.com/glossary-of-stoic-terms](https://studentsofstoicism.com/glossary-of-stoic-terms)

***

This meetup invites us to test the clarity of what we think we know and the strength of our ability to question it without fear. Because sometimes, the most rational move is to sit with not knowing and see what opens next.
See you soon,

*– Students of Stoicism*

Jasmine 

Students of Stoicism

Science & Education

Philosophy

Ethics

Intellectual Discussions

Philosophy of Mind

Eating & Drinking

Self-Help & Self-Improvement

Life Coaching

Stoicism

Self Exploration

Self-Empowerment

Life Transformation

Personal Development

The Pillar of Stoic Logic - The Socratic Method Part 4

Rationality and Reasoning

State 48 Lager House

Share

Students of Stoicism

The Pillar of Stoic Logic - The Socratic Method Part 4

Students of Stoicism

Details

Members are also interested in