Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 7

Socrates: questioning worldviews

I can explain how Socratic questioning encourages critical thinking and challenges existing worldviews.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 7

Socrates: questioning worldviews

I can explain how Socratic questioning encourages critical thinking and challenges existing worldviews.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Socrates was an Ancient Greek philosopher who challenged the Athenian worldview.
  2. Socrates used a questioning style known as Socratic questioning which is still in use today.
  3. Socrates claimed 'the unexamined life is not worth living'.
  4. Socrates was sentenced to death for his beliefs.

Keywords

  • Critical thinking - the ability to think clearly and make good decisions

  • Socrates - an Ancient Greek philosopher famous for his style of questioning

  • Socratic questioning - a teaching style attributed to Socrates that involves asking questions

  • Worldview - a person's way of understanding, experiencing and responding to the world

Common misconception

Socratic questioning is just about asking difficult questions.

Socratic questioning is a disciplined method of inquiry which includes specific question styles.

Encourage students to use Socratic questioning in their discussions.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
A person who loves wisdom and seeks knowledge about existence, reality and values is known as a ...
Correct Answer: philosopher, Philosopher
Q2.
Which of the following is an example of an ultimate question?
How old is the earth?
Correct answer: What is the purpose of life?
How many countries are in the world?
What will the weather be like tomorrow?
Q3.
What does a philosopher use to structure their arguments?
Correct Answer: logic, Logic
Q4.
What order should the steps in organising and evaluating a logical argument take place in?
1 - identify the ultimate question
2 - present premises
3 - draw a conclusion
4 - use logic to evaluate the argument
Q5.
An argument in philosophy is sound if it is valid and its are true.
Correct Answer: premises, Premises
Q6.
Match the argument to the correct description.
Correct Answer:invalid argument,The conclusion follows logically, but premises may be false.
tick

The conclusion follows logically, but premises may be false.

Correct Answer:sound argument,The conclusion follows logically, and all premises are true.
tick

The conclusion follows logically, and all premises are true.

Correct Answer:valid argument,The conclusion does not follow logically.
tick

The conclusion does not follow logically.

Correct Answer:unsound argument,The argument is invalid and has at least one false premise.
tick

The argument is invalid and has at least one false premise.

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Put these Ancient Greek philosophers in order from the earliest to the latest in time.
1 - Plato
2 - Socrates
3 - Aristotle
Q2.
What did Socrates mean by 'the unexamined life is not worth living'?
Only intelligent people need to examine their life.
You should doubt everything you are told.
We should not take time to enjoy life.
Correct answer: Thinking about your actions and beliefs is important for a good life.
Q3.
What is the aim of Socratic questioning?
To provide answers to questions.
Correct answer: To encourage critical thinking.
To argue for a particular belief.
To avoid difficult conversations.
Q4.
Match the Socratic question style to the correct example.
Correct Answer:questions asking for clarification,What do you mean by good?
tick

What do you mean by good?

Correct Answer:questions about reasons,Why do you think pleasure is good?
tick

Why do you think pleasure is good?

Correct Answer:questions about consequences,What if something is good for some and not for others?
tick

What if something is good for some and not for others?

Q5.
What is the correct order of events?
1 - The oracle in Delphi declared Socrates the wisest man in Athens.
2 - Socrates questioned politicians, poets and craftsmen of Athens.
3 - Socrates discovered that many people did not have deep knowledge.
4 - Socrates realised the oracle was correct because he knew he knew nothing.
Q6.
What might Socrates have meant when he described himself as a 'gadfly'?
Correct answer: He annoyed people to provoke them into thinking more deeply.
He bothered people with pointless questions.
He tried to force people to change their minds.
He spread gossip around Athens.

Additional material

Download additional material