"The Art of Questioning to Give Birth to Truth"
Socrates wandered Athens engaging people in dialogue. He claimed he was not a teacher who filled empty vessels, but a midwife (Maieutics) who helped others 'give birth' to the truth already dormant within their souls. He believed true knowledge comes from within, not from external authority.
He used a method of constant questioning ("What is Justice?"). By exposing contradictions in people's confident answers, he led them to a state of Aporia (puzzlement) and the realization of their own ignorance. This "Socratic Ignorance" is the beginning of wisdom.
This method, the Dialectic, is the foundation of Western critical thinking. Truth is reached through reasoned argument and debate, stripping away false beliefs to reveal the essence of things.