order to draw out and refute an opponent. The Greek word for this kind of pretence
is eironeia and this questioning method is called Socratic irony (see Plato Republic,
337a). The refutation is generally called the elenchos.By destroying the conceit that
we already have knowledge, the elenchos is negative in effect, destructive of self-
ignorance, conventional beliefs and received opinions: the effect of it is perplexity or
impasse, aporia in Greek. But our sources are agreed in stressing the integrity of
Socrates and in showing that, as an instrument of his probing intelligence, the Socratic
method served a positive moral function in paving the way for clarity of thought about
moral issues.
In a famous analogy, Plato makes Socrates compare his mission and his method
to that of his mother, who was a midwife:
But I have this feature in common with midwives – I myself am barren of wisdom.
The criticism that’s often made of me – that it’s lack of wisdom that makes me ask
questions, but say nothing positive myself – is perfectly true. Why do I behave like
this? Because the god compels me to attend to the labours of others but prohibits190 THE GREEKS
FIGURE 41 Delphi: theatre and site of the temple of Apollo, one of the spiritual centres
of the Greek world. On the portal of the temple, which housed the famous oracle
(consulted by Socrates) were inscribed the words gnothi seauton(Know Thyself), and
meden agan(Nothing in Excess)