How do we have “impossible conversations”? What is the basis of belief? How do we disagree fruitfully across philosophical, ideological, and religious divides? The Socratic Method is a form of argumentative dialogue based on asking and answering questions to draw out ideas and underlying assumptions. In this lecture, Peter Boghossian, a former Philosophy Professor at Portland State University and current Founding Faculty member at the University of Austin, outlines how he has devised a template using the Socratic Method as a core element in discourse. He speculates on the role of dialectical processes, critical thinking, corrective mechanisms to test beliefs and assumptions, and attitudinal dispositions, and explains the method of his conversational technique known as ‘street epistemology’ for promoting reflection.

To this day, many gifted teachers use the Socratic method to lead their students into greater understanding. In this brief clip, R.C. Sproul considers how the ancient philosopher Socrates can help us think more deeply today.

Dr. Richard Paul defines the universal standards with which thinking may be "taken apart" evaluated and assessed. Excerpted from the Socratic Questioning Video Series from the Foundation for Critical Thinking.

Dr. Harrison Kleiner lectures on Plato's Allegory of a Cave

A rare appearance by one of America’s most influential thinkers. Economist and author Thomas Sowell makes his long-awaited (and oft requested) return to Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to unveil his newest project: a website titled "Facts Against Rhetoric", a powerful resource dedicated to empirical thinking and intellectual clarity. In this interview, Sowell explores some of the most urgent issues in American life—from the collapse of educational standards to the unintended consequences of affirmative action, the impact of tariffs, and the erosion of family and cultural structures within Black communities.