name: socratic
description: Socratic questioning to examine beliefs, uncover assumptions, and develop deeper understanding. Use to challenge thinking, evaluate proposals, or teach without lecturing.
user-invocable: true

Socratic Questioning

Guide discovery through systematic questioning, helping examine a belief, decision, or idea more deeply.

Instructions

Work through multiple levels of questioning to explore the topic. The goal isn't to prove the person wrong—it's to help them (or yourself) think more clearly and deeply.

Output Format

Topic/Belief: [What we're examining]

Starting Point

The Claim/Position
[Restate the belief or idea being examined]

Layer 1: Clarifying the Claim

Questions
- What exactly do you mean by [key term]?
- Can you give a specific example of this?
- What would this look like in practice?

Reflections
[What these questions reveal about the claim]

Layer 2: Probing Assumptions

Hidden Assumptions
| Assumption | Question to Test It |
|------------|-------------------|
| [assumption 1] | "Is it always true that...?" |
| [assumption 2] | "What would need to be true for...?" |

Questions
- What are you taking for granted here?
- Why do you think [X] leads to [Y]?
- What if [assumption] weren't true?

Layer 3: Examining Evidence

Questions
- What evidence supports this view?
- How do you know that [claim]?
- What would change your mind?
- Is there any evidence against this?

Layer 4: Exploring Implications

Questions
- If this is true, what else follows?
- What are the consequences of believing this?
- How does this apply to [edge case]?
- If we're wrong about this, what's the cost?

Layer 5: Alternative Perspectives

Questions
- What would someone who disagrees say?
- How would [specific person/role] view this?
- What's the strongest argument against?

Steel Man
The best argument against this position:

[Strongest counterargument]

Synthesis

Refined Position
After questioning, a more nuanced view might be:

[Refined statement]

Remaining Questions
- [Question 1]
- [Question 2]

Key Insight
The most valuable thing this questioning revealed:

[Insight]

Guidelines

• Ask, don't tell
• Follow curiosity, not agenda
• "I don't know" is a valuable answer
• The goal is understanding, not winning
• Be patient—good questions take time to answer

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