ABSTRACT
The fourth chapter focuses on the practical application of Socratic Dialogue in both educational and business settings, namely how to: create a Socratic Dialogue space or classroom; sustain it; manage it. The key element in this chapter is the need to build a classroom that becomes a forum for giving voice to our values. Stress will be laid on those elements that have proven to be key in a process of Socratic Dialogue and on some of the commonest pitfalls. The chapter sketches the role of the facilitator and that of the participants, explaining clearly what each does and does not entail. Both the role of the facilitator (maieutic guide) and that of the participant require a certain amount of practice and skill and, from the outset, will present certain difficulties for those involved. These challenges are addressed through the chapter, which offers tips that have been proven helpful in the authors’ experience. The attitude that should be nurtured in both cases (when asking and when answering) can be summed up in ten commandments for those who question and ten for those who answer. These are included and explained in the chapter.
