Lou Marinoff

Professor of Philosophy, The City College of New York

President, American Philosophical Practitioners Association

Lecture on Philosophical Practice

Jiao Tong University, December 2014

Introduction to Philosophical Practice:

Past, Present, Future

What is Philosophical Practice?

• Philosophical practice has its roots in the ancient world, in both Western and Asian civilizations.

• In simplest possible terms, philosophical practice entails application of philosophical insights, methods, and systems to the resolution of human problems, and the betterment of the human condition.

• In so far as philosophical practice utilizes reason, and appeals to the inner resources of human beings rather than supernatural forces, it is not a religion.

• However, since many religions also enlist reason in addition to faith, religious adherents can also benefit from philosophical practices, leading to friendly collaboration.

• Ultimately, philosophical practice may be a species of humanism, and may represent a fourth historical phase of humanism’s evolution.

The seal of The City College of New York

founded 1847, by Townsend Harris

Respice

Look to the Past

Raphael, School of Athens (1510). Original title: Knowledge of Causes

Allegorical painting of East Asian Philosophy: The Vinegar Tasters,transformed into “Three Laughing Men by the Tiger Stream”Inclusive Interpretation: Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism are One.

Represents the first phase of Asian humanism.

Ancient Philosophical Practitioners Include

Hellenic: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Epicurus

Asian: Siddhartha Gautama, Lao Tzu, Confucius, Nagarjuna

Roman: Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius

Modern European Philosophical Practitioners Include

Spinoza, Marx, J.S. Mill

Modern American Philosophical Practitioners Include

Jefferson, Emerson, Thoreau

20th Century Philosophical Practitioner Pioneers Include

USA: Mortimer Adler, Pierre Grimes, Paul Sharkey, Peter Koestenbaum

Germany: Leonard Nelson, Gerd Achenbach

France: Pierre Hadot, Marc Sautet

Adspice

Look to the Present

The First International Conference on Philosophical PracticeThe University of British Columbia, Vancouver, July 7-9, 1994

organized by Ran Lahav & Lou Marinoff

This was a watershed event, which gave rise to the conception of philosophical practice as a contemporary movement in philosophy.

Edited by:Ran Lahav, Maria da Venza Tillmans

Published by:University Press of America Inc., Lanham 1995

Contributors (in order):Ran Lahav

Ida JongsmaDries Boele

Barbara NormanGerd Achenbach

Michael SchefczykBen MijuskovicSteven Segal

Elliot D. CohenAnette Prins-BakkerWill A.J.F. Gerbers

Ad Hoogendijk Lou Marinoff

Barton Bernstein & Linda Bolin

1995: The First Modern Collection of Scholarly Essays on PC

These beginnings gave rise to serial scholarly publications.

There are many books by practitioners, for practitioners

Very importantly, there are many popular books for non-philosophers

I. 1994 July 7-9Vancouver, CanadaRan Lahav & Lou Marinoff

II. 1996 August 25-28Leusden, NetherlandsIda Jongsma, Dries Boele

III. 1997 July 22-25New York, USALou Marinoff

IV. 1998 August 3-7Bensberg, GermanyGerd Achenbach

V. 1999 July 27-30Oxford, UKKaren Murris

VI. 2001 July 24-27Oslo, NorwayHenning Herrestad

VII. 2004 August 3-6Copenhagen, DenmarkFinn Thorbjørn Hansen

VIII. 2006 April 19-22Sevilla, SpainJose Barrientos Rastrojo

IX. 2008 July 16-19Carloforte, ItalyNeri Pollastri

X. 2010 August 11-14Leusden, NetherlandsLeon de Haas

XI. 2012 July 16-19Chuncheon, South KoreaYoung E. Rhee

XII. 2013 August 4-12Athens, GreeceConstantinos Athanasopoulos

XIII. 2014 August 15-18Belgrade, SerbiaAleksandar Fatic

International Conferences on Philosophical Practice ICPP Chronology, 1994 – 2014 …

…

The 11th ICPP was held in South Korea in 2012, and gave rise to some important developments. These will be addressed in lecture #2.

11th ICPP was organized by Prof. Young E. Rhee, and the Korean Society for Philosophical Practice, at Kangwon National University in Chuncheon, ROK.

National Organizations for Philosophical Practice: Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA …

The 13th ICPP was held in Belgrade, Serbia, in August 2014. It was organized by Aleksandar Fatic of the University of Belgrade.

2013: Recognition as an Academic Field

Organizational consulting

Groupfacilitation

Educational programs

Individual counseling

Modes of Philosophical Practice

Philosophical Practice is conditioned by prevailing national ethos, but also works to evolve prevailing national ethos

A Closer Look at the Four Modes of Philosophical Practice1. Individual Counseling or Advising

-- for persons or couples, from all walks of life -- issues of meaning, purpose, values, ethics -- IRB-approved scope of practice (in US) -- methodological pluralism

2. Group Facilitation -- informal, as in Café-Philo -- formal methods, e.g. Socratic Dialogue or Dilemma Training -- for general public, students, civil servants, inmates, patients, etc.

3. Organizational Consulting -- incorporates methods of counseling and facilitation -- usually aligned with an organizational mission or vision -- emphasis on goals as well as on process

4. Educational Programs -- philosophy for children (K-12) -- undergraduate and/or graduate programs (universities) -- professional development (certification programs)

Prospice

Look to the Future

past future

We are walking backwards into the future. We can see clearly where we have been, but not so easily where we are going.

Foreseeable Future:

Philosophical Practice will continue to grow in the 21st century• Globalization drives modernization, secularization, technocracy, and erosion of traditional ways of life.

• Increased secularization, and decline of mainstream religions and traditional value-systems, leaves many people without a moral compass, globally.

• Backlash against globalization entails a rejection of its material and technological values, and a return to extreme fundamentalisms, at least among Abrahamic religions.

• Philosophical practice can contribute to the evolution of a new global humanism, preserving essential human values and evolving a more inclusive human identity in tandem with our globalized economy.

• Philosophical practice can also promote dialogue, and further mutual understanding, among contending ideologies.

• Philosophical practice provides ways of putting more philosophers usefully to work, in a market that is over-saturated with theoreticians, thus benefitting society by enlisting their capacities.

Questions and discussion

Thank you very much !

非常感谢

Slide Number 1Slide Number 2Slide Number 3Slide Number 4Slide Number 5Slide Number 6Slide Number 7Slide Number 8Slide Number 9Slide Number 10Slide Number 11Slide Number 12Slide Number 13Slide Number 14Slide Number 15Slide Number 16Slide Number 17Slide Number 18Slide Number 19Slide Number 20Slide Number 21Slide Number 22Slide Number 23Slide Number 24