What is the Socratic method?
The Socratic method is a form of dialogue, named after the Athenian philosopher Socrates, in which a teacher asks a sequence of questions instead of giving answers. Its classic moves are: ask for a definition, test it against examples, find a counterexample that breaks it, and ask for a better definition. The goal is not to win, but to reach a clearer and better-justified understanding, or honestly admit what you do not know.
The six types of Socratic questions
A common framework groups Socratic questions into six types: clarification ("What exactly do you mean by fair?"), probing assumptions ("What are you taking for granted here?"), probing evidence ("How do you know that?"), alternative viewpoints ("How would someone who disagrees respond?"), implications and consequences ("If that is true, what else follows?"), and questions about the question ("Why does this matter to you?"). A good Socratic AI cycles through all six.
You can use these questions on yourself too. Before submitting an essay or making a decision, run through the six types and write a one-line answer to each. Where you cannot answer, you have found the weak point in your reasoning.
How to get the most from a Socratic AI tutor
Tell the AI to ask one question at a time and never give the answer unless you ask for a hint. Answer honestly, including "I do not know," which is where real learning starts. Every few exchanges, restate your current position in one sentence so you can see how it has changed. For studying, use it after reading a chapter: "Question me on the causes of inflation until I can explain them without notes."
When your view feels solid, test it. Start a Debatly debate with your refined claim and let an optimist, a skeptic and a devil's advocate argue it. The judge's verdict will show which parts of your position still need support.