The 5 Whys drill down a single causal chain by repeatedly asking why, which is great for finding a root cause. Socratic questioning, by contrast, looks at a claim from multiple angles—clarification, assumptions, evidence, viewpoints, implications and reflection—to test whether the claim itself is sound. You can combine them: use Socratic questioning to unpack a claim, then apply 5 Whys to dig into a specific causal link.
Socratic Question Board
For a claim or decision, systematically ask questions across six dimensions—clarification, assumptions, evidence, viewpoints, implications and reflection—to uncover hidden assumptions and examine evidence more rigorously.
If you want a refresher on the Socratic method, read theSocratic Questioning guideand then return here to systematically question a specific claim or decision.
To see how Socratic Questioning fits into a broader thinking chain and works together with tools like Six Thinking Hats or Second-Order Thinking, visit theThinking Playbookspage.
Thinking Model ToolCritical ThinkingSocratic Method
- 1
Write down the claim
Use the top input box to capture the claim or decision you want to examine.
- 2
Question across six dimensions
Work through Clarification, Assumptions, Evidence, Viewpoints, Implications and Reflection, adding Q&A entries under each.
- 3
Summarise insights & actions
Use the Reflection dimension to capture what has changed in your view and what actions you will take, then export if needed.
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Quick Guide
- Write down the claim or decision you want to examine in the top box, e.g., 'Should I change jobs?' or 'Will this new feature succeed?'
- Start with the Clarification dimension to make sure you understand what is actually being claimed.
- Work through each dimension—Assumptions, Evidence, Viewpoints, Implications and Reflection—adding multiple questions and answers as needed.
- Export as PNG or PDF when done to share or save for later reference.
Extended Strategies
Examining a news article or online claim
When you encounter an emotional or extreme claim, use Socratic questioning to unpack it systematically. For example, with a statement like 'This industry has no future', ask what specific segment is meant, what data supports this, and whether there are clear counterexamples.
Reflecting before making an important life or career decision
Before considering a major move or career change, use Socratic questioning to clarify your true motives and assumptions. Around a question like 'Should I quit and move to another city?', ask yourself why you want to move, what assumptions you have about the new place, and what costs or risks you might be downplaying.
Structured discussion and team decision-making
Teachers or facilitators can use Socratic questioning to guide students or teams to articulate reasons and implications behind their positions. When discussing a policy, you might ask about the underlying goals, success criteria, possible unintended consequences and which affected groups have not yet been heard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Top questions for education and workplace adoption
Socratic questioning is a concrete questioning framework that operationalises key critical thinking moves such as clarifying concepts, surfacing assumptions and evaluating evidence. First principles thinking then helps you turn important assumptions into basic, testable premises. In practice, you might first use Socratic questions to unpack a belief, then use first principles to rebuild your reasoning from fundamental facts.
Use this board when a claim feels suspicious but you cannot say exactly why, or when you need to make a significant decision and want to avoid being driven purely by emotion or bias. Writing the claim at the top and then working through the six dimensions forces you to turn vague feelings into explicit assumptions, evidence and perspectives that you can examine more calmly.