Coach, Midwife, Philosopher: same job!

A couple of months ago, I attended a workshop on coaching led by Damian Ryan. In this session, I learnt the differences between coaching, influencing and advising. We could simplify the definition of these 3 methods saying that coaching is about asking, influencing is about suggesting and advising is about telling.
Thinking back of it, I am now able to make a connection between coaching, midwifery and philosophy. This may sound surprising but believe me, it makes all sense.

Philosophy is characterized by a method called maieutics. The word maieutics comes from the Greek "maieutiké" and means "the art of giving birth to ideas". If philosophy consists in seeking the Truth, maieutics looks for it within ourselves. It consists in asking a succession of questions related to a broader question initially defined. This methodology encourages to find answers by or within ourselves, without leveraging a third party or the questioner herself. We owe this method to Socrates who gives a clear definition of his art in Plato's Theatetus:

My art of midwifery is in most respects like theirs [refering to midwives]; but differs, in that I attend men and not women; and look after their souls when they are in labour, and not after their bodies. [...] I ask questions of others and have not the wit to answer them myself. **

The analogy with coaching therefore becomes obvious. The coach asks questions to the coachee to which he/she tries to give answers by him/herself. Like a midwife helping a woman to bring a baby outside of her body, the coach helps bringing ideas and solutions that the coachee already has available in his mind. If a midwife doesn't necessarily have to be a mother herself to be able to assist another woman in becoming a mum, the coach doesn't necessarily know the answers to the questions they ask.

Not only then, I had realized I was a coach myself without knowing it - since just like many of us I apply coaching methodology when interacting with business leaders, external stakeholders or teammates but I am now convinced that midwifery and philosophy are closer to me than ever.

** Plato, Theatetus, 360 BC, translated by Benjamin Jowett, Clarendon Press, 1875