Dialectics:
"The aim of the dialectical method, often known as dialectic or dialectics, is to try to resolve the disagreement through rational discussion.
One way — the Socratic method — is to show that a given hypothesis (with other admissions) leads to a contradiction; thus, forcing the withdrawal of the hypothesis as a candidate for truth."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectic
How did Socrates use the dialectic?
"He would begin with a discussion of the obvious aspects of any problem. Socrates believed that through the process of dialogue, where all parties to the conversation were forced to clarify their ideas, the final outcome of the conversation would be a clear statement of what was meant.
The technique appears simple, but it is intensely rigorous. Socrates would feign ignorance about a subject and try to draw out from the other person his fullest possible knowledge about it. His assumption was that by progressively correcting incomplete or inaccurate notions, one could coax the truth out of anyone. The basis for this assumption was an individual's capacity for recognizing lurking contradictions. If the human mind was incapable of knowing something, Socrates wanted to demonstrate that, too. Some dialogues, therefore, end inconclusively."
http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/SocraticSeminars/faqsaboutss.htm
Cognition (Harvard):
Leaders: lindblom
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