The “Practice” of Philosophy
Exploring how the dialectic between wisdom and life’s practical affairs might be broached.
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The Question of Practical Philosophy
Does not the conjoining of those two words, ‘practical’ and ‘philosophy’, strike us as somewhat oxymoronic, if not outrightly moronic? Did not Aristotle once write that wisdom (philosophy) studies that which is “extraordinary, amazing, difficult, and divine, but useless, because it is not human goods that he looks for”? ... the aim here is to briefly explain how the dialectic between wisdom and the practical affairs of life might be broached.
“Wisdom studies that which is extraordinary, amazing, difficult, and divine.” — Aristotle
Who I Am
Are you tired of “therapists” & “educators” who employ weak, inoffensive platitudes only to propagate popular moral prejudices and their own profit? Do you no longer desire an empty, relativistic soundboard telling you what you want to hear? Do you count yourself, instead, among the few who desire a challenge in order to unearth hard truths and the riches of the mind? If so, philosophy, that is to say, ‘the love of wisdom’, may be for you! Let us discover together, in a warm and friendly environment, a deeper sense of meaning about who you are, the world that surrounds you, and your place in it.
I earned my PhD in philosophy from The New School in 2016, my APPA certification in 2019, have been a philosophy professor since 2006, and have delivered papers at conferences the world over. My areas of expertise are Nietzsche, Ethics and Social/Political Philosophy, Ancient Greek Philosophy, and Modern, European philosophy. I approach philosophical counseling largely from a Nietzschean perspective.
Through a Socratic dialogue of sorts, I employ philosophers such as Nietzsche, Plato, Aristotle, Marx, and Machiavelli, to offer honest and unfashionable wisdom free, as Nietzsche put it, of 'moralic acid' for clients actually seeking depth from their therapy sessions, rather than a mere soundboard offering dime-store diagnoses and easy categorization.
Philosophy as Freedom
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“What is great about philosophy is that it is beyond all practical necessity.”
Unlike academicians who attempt to justify philosophy through profit or utility, I hold with the ancients that philosophy is valuable in and of itself. It enriches the mind, not the wallet. Aristotle called it the only ‘free science’.
The greatest slavery is not political but spiritual — being captive to alien ideals and moral prejudices not one’s own. As Nietzsche reminds us, “belief means not wanting to know what is true.” True philosophy frees the spirit from these unseen chains.