The Role of Philosophical Counselling in Alleviating Alienation

Abstract

Starting from the 18th and 19th centuries the concept of alienation has gradually attracted the interest of philosophers and sociologists. This phenomenon has been receiving even more attention ever since the onset of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an increase in the interest to investigate its meaning and implications. This is the theme that the current article is also examining, aiming to determine whether university students in Timisoara were experiencing alienation from others in the current context. In this endeavor, we have proceeded by investigating the concept of alienation in order to figure out which philosophers have dealt with alienation from others amongst the many that have written on the subject, continuing with an analysis of the concept of philosophical counselling and the view of philosophical counsellors on the subject of alienation. The study itself is of a quantitative nature, the participants having received a questionnaire where they were asked to rate their level of alienation from others compared to the one they were experiencing prior to the onset of the pandemic. Most respondents scored a “neutral” level of alienation, indicating a not bad, but also not good situation. This neutral result still implies a level of alienation towards others and the need of philosophical counselling in order to reduce its level.