The maieutic method involves asking a series of questions that were considered by Socrates, a practice of "giving birth" to the truth, and a related word, maieutic, defined as "relating to or resembling the Socratic method of eliciting new ideas from another. Maieutic comes from "maieutic," the Greek word for "of midwifery." In one of Plato's "Dialogues," Socrates applies "maieutic" to his method of bringing forth new ideas by reasoning and dialogue; he thought the technique analogous to those a midwife uses in delivering a baby. Tradition tells us that Socrates' mother was a midwife. In using the maieutic can be thought of as an intellectual midwife who assists the person in bringing forth ideas and conceptions previously latent in his or her mind.
Plato did not like poets and teachers (Sophists), so how can we develop the idea of maieutic poetry and stories? If we consider poetry as the language of the heart, then the lines of a poem can compress thoughts, feelings, and the essence of the writer and the reader. If you agree with Frankl that each moment has a singularity and meaningfulness, then poetry and short stories can express the writer's uniqueness and the reader's spirit. Maieutic Questions – From the Greek word for mid-wife uses in Socratic dialogue, maieutic questions help a person to see life differently. A difference that helps to discover meaningfulness. Maieutic questions are often challenging, but they are non-invasive; they aim to bring deep inner knowing to conscious awareness.
