"An average professor of philosophy is not a philosophical counselor because, although he possesses more than enough philosophical expertise, and can apply philosophical conceptions in abstract or hypothetical contexts, he has little or no conception of how to apply them to actual human problems."
- Lou Marinoff, Philosophical Practice, 2002
- Lou Marinoff, Philosophical Practice, 2002
"Plato counseled Dionysius II of Syracuse, Descartes counseled Queen Christina of Sweden, and Locke was a counselor in the household of the first Earl of Shaftesbury. These are just a few examples of the philosophers who counseled royalty, politicians, clergy and all others who asked for their services. Though philosophy has become a purely academic profession in the last few centuries, at the end of the 20th century private philosophy tutors and counselors are increasingly gaining popularity.
The German philosopher Gerd B. Achenbach conceived the idea of the philosopher as a private "institution," as a person working independently outside the ivory tower of the university. Achenbach began receiving people for private consultations about life problems and questions in 1981. Though there are psychiatrists and psychologists who use philosophy in their treatment of persons, Achenbach's approach is non-clinical. Philosophical Counseling may remind people of sessions with therapists or pastoral counselors because of outward similarities in the sessions. Nevertheless, Philosophical Counseling does not work with psychological, theological, or medical models. The aim of Achenbach's practice is to create a "free place" where persons use philosophy to develop their own thoughts on relevant subject matters.
At present, in addition to the German, an International Society for Philosophical Practice (IGPP) developed, and there are the Dutch (VFP), the Norwegian (NPP), the Canadian ASPP and CSPP Societies for Practicing Philosophy. The Israeli (ISPPI), the British Society of Consultant Philosophers (SCP), a Finnish (SFPY), a Norwegian, an Italian and Spanish organizations, a South African Association (APC), and an Australian Association , a Brazilian, a Portuguese Ethical and Counselling Association, the Korean Society of Philosophical Practice and the Hellenic Society for Philosophical Practice.
The American Society for Philosophy, Counseling and Psychotherapy (ASPCP) now named the National Philosophical Counseling Association is cultivating the idea and practice of philosophical counseling in the USA. A former executive director of the ASPCP, Lou Marinoff, proposed a controversial bill on philosophical practice in the New York State area.
In Israel, philosophical counseling began in 1989 with the establishment of Center Sophon, directed by Shlomit Schuster."
- Dr Shlomit C. Schuster, Israel Society for Philosophical Practice and Counseling
More than two thousand years ago it was Epicurus who characterized philosophy as "therapy of the soul." For Epicurus, the arguments made by a philosopher are just empty if they do not relieve any human suffering. The Stoics also made it clear that philosophy is not merely the memorization of abstract theories or the exegesis of texts, but learning the art of living well. Socrates used philosophy not to teach concepts but to encourage his discussion partners to examine their thinking and attitudes about almost every issue imaginable.
Spinoza saw philosophy as the "practice of wisdom" and Nietzsche complained that philosophy had degenerated into a boring academic pursuit. He was waiting for a "philosopher physician" who would muster the courage "to risk the proposition: That what was at stake in all philosophizing up to this point was not at all 'truth' but something else -- let us say, health, future, growth, power, life."
The twentieth century's most influential philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein, asked rhetorically, "What is the use of studying philosophy if all it does for you is to enable you to talk with some plausibility about some abstruse questions in logic, etc., and if it does not improve your thinking about the important questions of everyday life?"
John Dewey, the highly regarded American philosopher of education, wrote that philosophy would show its true value "only when it ceases to be a device for dealing with the problems of philosophers and becomes a method, cultivated by philosophers, for dealing with the problems of men."
Philosophical counselors have willingly accepted the challenge to take philosophy out of the lecture hall and present it to the real world.
Questions, Questions, Questions… Learn more about from IGPP https://www.igpp.org/philoprax
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHICAL PRACTICE? - IMPORTANCE OF PHILOSOPHICAL PRACTICE – DEMARCATION- FOR WHOM? - WHAT? - HOW?
Internationale Gesellschaft für Philosophische Praxis /
The International Society for Philosophical Practice (IGPP) web site https://www.igpp.org/
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