Philosophical Practice emerged in the 1980's with the aim of making philosophy directly relevant to our everyday life - our everyday predicaments, dilemmas, experiences, longings. It was born, in part, out of frustration with academic philosophy, which was seen as too abstract and remote from the concrete life of the person in the street.
In everyday life we often face basic life-issues: What does friendship require of me? What is meaningful in life? What does it mean to be free? What is true love? Such issues have been discussed by philosophers throughout the ages, but mainly in an abstract and impersonal way. If philosophy wishes to address those issues in a personal way so as to be relevant to the individual's concerns, then it can no longer be limited to theoretical discussions about general ideas. It should, rather, be a practical activity that weaves philosophical self-examination with everyday personal concerns. It should, in other way, be Philosophical Practice.
Philosophical Practice can be practiced in various frameworks: in a workshop for the general public led by a philosopher, in an egalitarian group of companions who help each other examine themselves philosophically, by an individual philosophical seeker who is on a personal journey, or in the form of counseling sessions with a counselee who wishes to consult a philosopher.
The latter format, probably the most popular nowadays, is called Philosophical Counseling. In Philosophical Counseling a philosophically trained counselor meets counselees for one or more sessions, discusses with them their personal predicaments, and attempts to help them explore philosophically the meaning of their predicaments and ways to address them.
The idea of using philosophy to help individuals address life-issues is of course not new. It can already be found in ancient Greek philosophy. But in its contemporary form it was born in the early eighties, when Gerd Achenbach opened his philosophical practice in Germany and founded the first association devoted to the field. Since then the field has been expanding rapidly. The First International Conference (organized by Ran Lahav and LouMarinoff) was held in Canada in 1994 at the University of British Columbia, and the Eighth International Conference (organized by JoseBarrientos) took place in Sevilla, Spain, in 2006. Numerous groups and associations operate today in countries such as Germany, Holland, Norway, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, USA, Mexico and Peru, and many individual practitioners operate in additional countries throughout the world. These associations organize discussion groups, workshops, conferences and training courses. There are also several journals devoted to the topic, as well as university courses and programs.
What is the aim of Philosophical Practice, and what are its methods? There is no consensus on these issues. But generally speaking, some philosophical practitioners have a pragmatic orientation - they seek to help the individual address specific problems and solve them: dissatisfaction at work, tensions in the family, low self-esteem, etc. In this respect they are similar to many forms of psychological counseling and psychotherapy, which likewise seek to deal with these issues.
Others regard Philosophical Practice as having more unique goals and methods, and as aimed at developing self-understanding and wisdom (or 'Bildung'). Through a philosophical self-examination individuals gradually learn to go beyond their limited attitudes to life, to open new horizons of life, and develop a broader and deeper understanding of themselves and their world.
The present website is oriented towards the latter approach: Philosophical Practice as a search for wisdom.
