Definition of Maieutics | What is Maieutics

Concept and Meaning of Maieutics

Maieutics (or heuristic approach) is a method or a technique that involves asking questions to a person until she discovers concepts that were latent or hidden in his mind. The questionnaire is developed by a professor who must be responsible, with questions, to guide the learner (pupil) to knowledge not conceptualized.
The technique of the maieutic assumes that the truth is hidden in the mind of each person. Through the dialectic, the individual develops new concepts from his answers.
Usually the maieutics is attributed to Socrates and has even been dubbed as the Socratic method. Some experts, however, distinguish between the maieutics and Socratic method, arguing that it was based on irony demonstrating the interlocutor that what he believed or understood, in fact, was based on prejudice.
The etymological origin of the maieutic dates back to the Greek language and is related to obstetrics, the branch that helps the birth. Socrates oriented concept to philosophy, given that the maieutic helps the birth, not a baby, but rather a thinking being.
The idea of the maieutic may apply to the education system when it is understood that knowledge is built collaboratively. The teacher must not give answers to students, but encourage doubt and concerns that lead them to think and to reflect to create their own concepts. The teacher must therefore interact with the students and help them find or discover answers in their analysis.

Published for educational purposes