Welcome

Philosophy is a living, active, provoking, critical thinking practice.

How can we call ourselves rational creatures if we do not routinely seek out conscious exercise of reason?

Philosophia Demonstrata is an ongoing project in applied philosophy: a series of essays exploring ambiguity, doubt, and the limits of reason with both analytical rigor and personal introspection. It is written for readers who appreciate precision of thought, seek intellectual honesty, and believe that philosophy is not merely an academic exercise but a method of learning how to live. You might find something interesting if you are a little anxious but think that it is rather normal to be so; curious but not necessarily academic; skeptical but searching; conflicted and happy to navigate uncertainty; desirous of critical reflection sharpened by a philosophical perspective.

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Kate Cook is a writer with a deep love for philosophy, critical thinking, and how ideas work. With an academic background in philosophy, she writes essays that explore what it is to be human. She holds the titles: Assistant Professor, Lynn University; Philosophy Practitioner, Institut de Pratiques Philosophiques; Debate Coach, Lynn University Debate Team; Managing Editor, Journal of Individual Psychology.

What is Philosophical Practice?

Philosophical practice is a dialogue that uses Socratic questioning to exercise and improve critical thinking, to explore the self, and to identify and examine assumptions and values. It is a method to enable a thinker to become more conscious. It is a confrontation to the self. The method is built on the accounts we have of dialogues with Socrates. It is a move towards fulfilling the imperative from the Oracle of Delphi to “know thyself”. Philosophers play with ideas: they work with the interlocutor or text to conceptualize, build an argument, question, deepen, and problematize. In philosophical practice, the philosopher invites the interlocutor through dialogue to join them in playing with ideas.

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