The Coffee House Philosopher

Though the ancient philosopher and teacher Socrates is long gone, variations of the pedagogical technique known as the “Socratic Method of Teaching” might still be encountered in institutions of higher education today, most notably in law schools. Following the dictates of the Socratic method, the discussion leader seldom answers a student’s question directly. Instead he instigates a series of questions and student responses designed to lead the student to a point where the student “discovers” the answer to his own original question.

As for the student’s qualitative benefit, instead of having...