Socrates Between Aporetics and Elenctics: Is the Socratic Dialog too Idealized for the Needs of Teaching Philosophy?

In the philosophy of education and philosophy for children, the Socratic dialogue appears as a common pedagogical method, also canonised in the literature on the didactics of philosophy. The question of what the Socratic dialogue is in the given context should be specified, defined and explained in comparative form. We conclude, firstly, that the historical Socratic dialogue and the one found in philosophy of education and teaching differ, so that one could justifiably question the correctness of the naming. Second, the modern versions of the Socratic method lack the elements of aporetics and elenctics. Both are characteristic of Socratic philosophy and they cannot be replaced by any newer concept. Thirdly, it follows that it is impossible to speak about the Socratic dialogue in the philosophy of education and teaching in a precise and strict sense of the word. This kind of naming is figurative, and the use is idealised.