What does anyone know about maieutic psychagogy?

maieutic: maieûtikos, midwife, one who assists in the delivery of a new being

psychagogy: psuchagôgê, from Greek, psûchê, soul, and agogê, transport to or lead out of; the science of helping to bring out (give birth to) new elements (ideas, beings) from a person's soul or to bring into (transmit to) a person's soul, elements from a higher level of being.

I am interested in it because of my studies in literary hermeneutics.

Peter

I think it must have been coined by Socrates, who compared himself with his mother who was a midwife. And, of course, he spoke greek. At least, that is what Plato tells us. Hard to say as socrates didn't write anything down himself.

"or to bring into (transmit to) a person's soul, elements from a higher level of being."

yep, definately related to Plato's cave. In short, what we see in this world are only reflections of the "true and perfect world", which we are unable to see. Only a philosopher might catch a glimpse so now and then. Plato describes it in "the republic" if you're interested in the whole story.

This philosopy lies at the basis of christianity by the way.

Yeah, that's the type of stuff I do all the time, but it's more so a conduit than a midwife, because I presume a midwife knows what they're doing and I don't !

I know it's hard to pronounce, if that is any help. If Plato meant that truth may be ascertained by drawing it (like a midwife) out of a pregnant audience, where it inately waits to be born, it smacks of poppycock, at least to me. If I misunderstand the definition, I am open to correction.

Who Herman Eutics is, I can only guess.

It's not like an "enlightment may be attained" by drawing it out (not of the audience, but from this plane of existence).....I see it more as that certain insights may be gained by receptive observation.

Herman Eutics is, I think, a friend of that Italian guy, Harry Vahderchi

>receptive observation. nice. useful for 'interpretation' necessary to understanding

On a basic level,it's like what happens when I title a poem by making an anagram out of the first letters of each line.

you could also translate the greek with "bringing it to mind", which sounds a lot less far-fetched and mythic. Greek translations seem very strange in translation at times.

from [depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu]
"At the heart of Socratic irony, however, was not just Socrates's innate playfulness, but a serious conviction that teaching was not, as in the manner of the Sophists, the mere handing over of information by the teacher to the student. In fact, Socrates did not consider himself a teacher in the usual sense, but only an assistant at the birth of knowledge, an intellectual midwife. In Plato's Theaetetus Socrates uses this metaphor to explain how, although he knows nothing, he can help others in their search for truth (150b):

I cannot give birth to wisdom myself and the accusation that many make against me, that while I question others, I myself bring nothing wise to light due to my lack of wisdom, is accurate. The reason for this is as follows: God forces me to serve as a midwife and prevents me from giving birth."

you can find more info on the cave theory here (it seems unrelated to the midwife theory):
[www.historyguide.org]

To corroborate Desi's first cited example:

[www.mlahanas.de]


Les

It does seem tome much of thetime thank I am just helping things along when I read something, when I interpret the the world through my writing-- that 'I' am not the ultimate source and maker of what passes through 'me'. Maybe it is born outside and before to come through myeffort, making me perhaps at the most the shaper.

Peter

it fits in with the Pratchett-philosopy. The idea-particles are out there, just waining for an opportunity to hit someone!