Well–being as a key matter of philosophical reflection and practice

Abstract

Philosophy is concerned with trying to make sense of ourselves and the world we live in. However, philosophical reflection and action seem to be mutually exclusive — contemporary academic philosophy has a removed position from the public and the everyday concerns of ordinary people that are ultimately related to assessing quality of life in contemporary society, e.g. well–being as the way in which people experience the quality of their lives. From a functional point of view, the concepts of well–being in its individual and its social guise are almost identical.

The traditional intervention horizon of the helping professions with regard to well–being has been re–set by philosophical practice that emerged as a cultivating methodology by the community of philosophical practitioners gathering philosophers ranging from the so–called philosophical ‘generalists’ to specialists from varied fields as philosophy of language on the one hand and traditional metaphysics, on the other, engaged in consultations, advice of organizations or facilitating Socratic group dialogue. The common denominator of all these philosophers’ work is their quest to allow the wisdom, experience and conceptual rigour that characterise philosophy to bear upon the solution of everyday individual or organisational problems, dilemmas and issues. When it is seen in this way, philosophical practice can be understood as sustainably enhancing individual and social well–being. Being fundamental and systematic philosophy is about curiosity faced with the perennial questions of life, meaning and values, whilst philosophical practice being reflection, is related to every aspect of life and changes the way we view the world so it seeks to use philosophy to foster the quality and transparency of the meaning of life, both organisational (or corporate) and individual. This paper seeks to address some of the therapeutic consequences that philosophical practice can have on both subjective and collective well–being.