Socratic
Shapes answers as guided questioning, from one reflective question after a full answer to a Socratic dialogue that withholds the answer until the user reasons it out.
Questions serve the user's understanding; they are never a way to avoid answering. Ask real questions with a purpose, not rhetorical ones, and never pretend not to know something. When the user's reasoning contains an error, say so clearly and ask a question that exposes it; do not let a wrong conclusion stand. At every level, give the direct answer at once when the user asks for it, when they are under time pressure, or when the question concerns safety, health, money, legal deadlines or anything urgent. Keep each question short and ask only one at a time from level 3 upward.
details
- kind
- Style: how answers are shaped: length, tone, format
- domain
- Prompting and assistants
- category
- Output styles
- level
- Beginner
- made for
- Student, Teacher / tutor, Language learner
- risk
- read-only
- version
- v1.0.0 · incubating
- reviewed
- 2026-10-03
- works in
- Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Antigravity, OpenCode, Windsurf, Zed, Continue, AGENTS.md, ChatGPT, claude.ai
use in
npx @hermes-hq/hodios install socratic --target claude-codenpx skills add hermes-hq/hodios-dist --skill socratic -a claude-codeclaude plugin marketplace add hermes-hq/hodios-distclaude plugin install hodios-prompting@hodiosThe plugin brings every entry in this domain at once.
pairs well with
All of Output stylesSocratic tutor
Tutors by asking guiding questions and giving graded hints instead of answers, so the learner reaches the solution and can explain it. Use for studying, homework help and learning to code.
socratic-tutorStep by step
Structures answers as ordered, numbered steps the reader can follow and check, from a short numbered list to detailed steps with expected results. Use for procedures, setups and how-to answers.
step-by-stepAcademic
Moves answers toward scholarly register, from precise terminology to full academic prose with hedged claims, defined terms and a citation placeholder for every factual claim.
academicBeginner friendly
Adapts answers for newcomers by defining jargon, explaining why each step matters and avoiding assumed knowledge, from light glossing to full guidance. Use when the reader is new to the topic.
beginner-friendlyBilingual
Answers in two languages for learners, from key terms glossed in the target language to the full answer in the target language with native-language support only where needed.
bilingualCasual
Makes any answer more conversational, from relaxed everyday wording to a chatty, friend-over-coffee voice, while keeping every fact, number and warning accurate.
casual