The Lost Art of Socratic Debate

Why Learning to Question and Seeking to Understand is a Timeless and Valuable Skill

Part I

By: Brent Longnecker

I love debate — always have and always will.Blame it on my Jesuit training, but even today, it serves me well. Whether I’m in a courtroom, facing critical issues, leading my teams, or wrestling with my own thoughts… Socratic it is — and Socratic it must be.

Back in my Jesuit and college days, I loved debate so much that I didn’t even mind when professors assigned me a side I disagreed with. To me, debate was never about “winning.” It was a journey — a path to learn about life, others, and most importantly… myself.

Simply put, debate is the disciplined exchange of opposing arguments, deeply examined.

Socrates captured this perfectly when he said:

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

From a Socratic perspective, debating well is not about victory — it’s about the relentless pursuit of wisdom. Socrates believed the actual value of debate lies in cultivating a mind that questions skillfully, listens humbly, and seeks first to understand.  Only then should the debate begin.

Why We’ve Lost This Art

In today’s divisive world, debate has been twisted into an all-or-nothing spectacle that breeds malice and hate. But the Socratic approach is — and always has been — a skillful art, essential for any thriving society. It was vital in ancient Athens, and it is just as vital today.

When we approach debate not as a battlefield - where one must win and another must lose - but as a shared journey toward truth, something powerful happens: We discover understanding. 

We may still agree to disagree, but more often than not, we find that we share far more common ground than media and politicians would have us believe.

And let’s be honest — fear and hate sell.

­        They sell clicks.

­        They sell sponsors.

­        They keep us a divided nation.  And a divided nation cannot stand – guaranteed!

A Truth to Remember

There is a profound difference between “hate speech” and “speech hated.”

And another truth that must never be forgotten:

“Fear is the lengthened shadow of ignorance.”

Fear is a distorted reaction to what we do not understand — like a shadow stretching far beyond the object that casts it. The longer ignorance persists, the more reality is lost, and fear takes over.  And once fear takes hold, it brings its friends of animosity, contempt, bitterness… and hate to the table.

A Personal Note

This week, we lost a great Christian and Socratic debater — Charlie Kirk — arguably one of the best I’ve ever seen using this approach.

Shortly after hearing the news, my wife Shelly ran out to the barn where I office and said:

“Brent, he debates just like you.You need to share this approach.You need to write about it — maybe even teach it.”

I’m not sure I’m up to that. But she’s my wife… and she sees things only a wife can see.So, this will be the beginning of a two- or three-part series on the Socratic art of debate.

Charlie was far better than I, but I understand him. I understand how he tried to use this approach to open lines of communication so we could all grow.

My prayer is that these words might move the needle — even a little — toward better discussions:

­        In politics.

­        In religion.

­        On racism.

­        In families.

­        In communities.

Bottom line, despite any differences, they are being exploited to make us hate each other.

We are all better than this; we are better than where the media and politicians would lead us… if only to keep themselves center stage.

Please join me in that prayer.

Coming Soon: Part II

The Power of Questioning — and Seeking to Understand

At the heart of the Socratic method lies elenchus — a disciplined process of asking probing questions to seek understanding before engaging in debate.

Rather than giving answers, Socrates led his dialogue partners to examine their own assumptions. This forced them to uncover hidden premises, biases, and even hate — separating opinion from fact, and vague attacks from clear, debatable concepts.

Modern debates often focus on quick rebuttals and vicious personal attacks — words that can never be taken back. The Socratic approach slows the conversation down.

It makes us think before we speak.