ABSTRACT
The “discovery learning” approach pioneered by John Dewey may initially appear similar to the Socratic method: both eschew lectures in favor of student involvement to examine arguments. However, the two methods differ in their conception of human nature, which ultimately reveals that the two both methods are drastically different in both purpose and technique. Whereas the Socratic method points students towards the philosophical life and an appreciation of beauty and enduring wisdom, the discovery learning approach dismisses these goals. As pressure mounts in public schools and universities to adopt discovery learning, sometimes in the name of the Socratic method, it is important to clarify the differences between these two approaches to better understand what is potentially gained and threatened by adopting Dewey’s pedagogy.
