2004-10-06 - 12:54 a.m.
law school socratic method is the pedagogy of fascism
my section is notoriously "lax" in administration of socratic method. in other sections, students have cried under its duress.
what is the purpose of the law school socratic method? many would say to 'train you to think like lawyer' and to get used to a system based on adversarial principles or at least rhetorical challenges.
does this training require this method? no. is this the best pedagogy for improving one's ability to respond to arguments? give me a break.
what happens in classes where students are made to cry? the student is not being educated, they are made into an example. other students, driven by fear, prepare more thoroughly and pay closer attention to the pattern of questions asked.
simultaneously, the authority/power/hierarchy between professor and student is consolidated.
fear, i suspect, will give way to competition eventually.
(i have been called on twice, and i did fine)
