What is maieutics?

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/p/peyron/

I was introduced to this word by Prof Sreekumar from Goa University. Maieutics can be compared to intellectual midwifery. A midwife helps expectant mothers deliver a baby. Similarly, maieutics is the act of facilitating a person deliver (articulate) an idea. The origin of this word can be traced to the Greek word “maieutikos” which means midwifery.

How many times in our day-to-day life have we struggled trying to explain a concept at home, school or the workplace? To convey exactly what we have in our mind we need to connect what we think and what we say. Parents, teachers and at times our customers help us articulate our ideas.

Maieutics is important in activities that have an element of newness and creativity. Creative exercises such as writing a story, composing a song or a play, designing a house, developing a new tool etc, involve the creation of something novel. A mentor would facilitate this process by asking questions that force us to look at the basics. This is maieutics.

Like a midwife who facilitates childbirth, to facilitate maieutics, one needs certain skills. These skills can be acquired either by experience or training. A good role model to follow would be Socrates. Socrates the Greek philosopher was considered the wisest person in his times. One of his most thought provoking quotations, “A life unexamined is unworthy of a man”, cited in Plato’s Apology, is a good starting point to examine what maieutics is all about.

Socrates used to roam the streets of Rome and exhort the youth to examine their lives. He would get into dialogs on a variety of topics such as justice, virtue, moderation, friendship, courage etc. This act of facilitating public dialogs ultimately led to the death of Socrates. Ironically, instead of recognizing the role played by Socrates, a public trial led by Anytus, Meletus and Lycon sentenced Socrates to death. Agesilaus II, the King of Sparta at that time, charged Socrates with impiety and corruption of youth. Socrates courageously drank hemlock and embraced death peacefully rather than run away from the situation.

Therefore for a person to facilitate maieutics one needs exceptional facilitation skills and courage to believe in one’s convictions. How many such people do you see around you?

I like another quotation from Socrates, "My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher".