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 to join them in playing with ideas.
Philosophical practice commonly takes the form of a dialogue between two individuals, usually a philosopher who questions and an interlocutor; a dialogue within a group, with a philosopher moderating a discussion; a dialogue between an author and a text, where a philosopher expresses and develops ideas; or a dialogue between a text and a reader, where a philosopher seeks to understand and let an idea resonate.
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Resources
Institut de Pratiques Philosophiques
American Philosophical Practitioners Association
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