Socratic Discussion Question Generator

Generate Socratic discussion questions to spark deep inquiry on a topic.

**Topic or text:**
[What topic, text, case study, or concept are you facilitating a discussion about?]

**Learner level and context:**
[e.g. high school philosophy class, MBA seminar, book club, professional ethics training]

**What I want learners to grapple with:**
[The central tension, dilemma, or idea you want explored — not the answer, the question underneath the question]

**Discussion format:**
- Duration: [e.g. 20-minute discussion, full 90-minute seminar]
- Group size: [e.g. whole class of 25, small groups of 4–5]
- Facilitation style: [teacher-led / student-led / Socratic seminar / Harkness table]

**What a shallow discussion looks like:**
[The surface-level or "safe" answers you want to push past]

Generate:
1. **1 opening question** — broad and accessible, gets everyone into the conversation without requiring expertise
2. **4–6 core questions** — progressively deeper, each pushing toward complexity, contradiction, or nuance
3. **2–3 challenge questions** — designed to push back on the most common/comfortable answers
4. **1 synthesis question** — helps the group connect the discussion to something larger or to their own lives
5. **Facilitation notes** — what to do when discussion stalls, how to handle dominant voices, what a productive vs. unproductive discussion looks like on this topic