Practical Philosophy Research Articles

What next for "counseling" in genetic counseling training: Areflection on how CBT and ACT approaches can contribute to the genetic counseling toolkit.

Counseling techniques are an important component of genetic counseling training and are focused on the person-centered counseling philosophy. While this has a long tradition within the profession and underpins the empowerment goal, it should not limit consideration of the potential benefits of education on other psychotherapeutic approaches such as the cognitive philosophy. The goal of empowerment in genetic counseling requires patients to receive information in a way that is accessible to them and to make sense of it in relation to their own health, lifestyle, and family information. This assimilation of new information is a complex cognitive process, and yet it is one that genetic counselors do not routinely actively facilitate. Rather the counseling component of genetic counseling has traditionally focused on emotionally supporting the patient which is driven by the person-centered philosophy that is covered in genetic counseling training. This paper argues for the potential for adopting more cognitive approaches informed by cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), as these short interventions can have wide impact, including engaging patients who do not want to discuss feelings, helping people to make sense of information (not just gain knowledge), and helping people to change the relationship they have with their thoughts. This paper advocates for an introduction to CBT and ACT to be incorporated into prequalification training and for more advanced training to be available to postqualification genetic counselors.

Etika Profesi Bimbingan dan Konseling: Menghadapi Tantangan Kerahasiaan dalam Layanan Konseling Online

Rapid changes in the world of education triggered by technological advances have stimulated interest in the use of online counseling as a method of mental health services. The COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated the shift to online counseling as a primary option. The research results show that online counseling has equivalent effectiveness to face-to-face counseling. However, there are a number of ethical issues that need to be considered in online counseling practices, especially those related to the confidentiality and security of client data. Efforts to maintain confidentiality are a priority, including the use of secure technology and communication via encrypted platforms. Counselors need to understand the potential risks involved and continually increase their knowledge of online counseling ethics. This study used a systematic literature review (SLR) approach to investigate the development of online counseling practices and related ethical issues. In Indonesia, ABKIN has not yet issued standard guidelines for counseling services via the internet, so this is a challenge in maintaining client confidentiality in this country.

The implementation of non-weight focused approaches in clinical practice: A Canadian cross-sectional study among registered dietitians.

An increasing number of dietitians use non-diet approaches, referred to as non-weight focused practice approaches (NWFAs), in clinical practice when working with higher weight adult clients. However, the factors that impact dietitians' ability to successfully implement these approaches in practice are unknown. Aiming to examine how implementing NWFAs in clinical practice differs based on the extent to which a dietitian uses NWFAs with their clients, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey among Canadian registered dietitians who work with higher weight adults (May to July 2021), developed and validated following the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Descriptive statistics were conducted to identify barriers and facilitators with respect to implementing NWFAs. The Kruskal-Wallis was used to test for differences in barriers and facilitators with respect to implementing NWFAs among five different practice approaches. The results showed that, among participants (n = 383; 82% white; 95% women) the most important barriers for implementation of NWFAs were clients' focus on weight as an outcome, when losing weight is a condition to access enhanced services, requiring changes to their practice philosophy, difficulty funding professional development and not having sufficient skills or knowledge to implement NWFAs in practice. Top-rated facilitators included the use of clinical guidelines, scientific publications and educational materials, which were rated with higher agreement across all implementation stages (p < 0.001). The present study highlights important factors that may impact the effective implementation of NWFAs in dietetic practice for higher weight adult clients, which is essential to minimise barriers in practice.

Expanding the literature on philosophical counselling through African hermeneutic philosophy and conversationalism

Philosophical counselling, a contemporary movement in practical philosophy, continually expands its discourse by introducing novel philosophical ideas and different traditions. Nevertheless, a conspicuous silence persists regarding the introduction of African philosophies in its discourse. This issue becomes apparent when the question “How might one live?”—a fundamental question that the philosophical counsellor deals with—is adequately investigated. However, its current formulation suffers greatly from a much-needed nuance concerning temporal and contextual awareness. To address and transcend this shortcoming, I turn to two distinct African philosophies, namely, the hermeneutic philosophy of Tsenay Serequeberhan and the conversational method of philosophising advocated by Jonathan O. Chimakonam. By incorporating these philosophies, my aim is twofold: first, to promote an interpretative actualisation situated within a conversational framework that might lead to the creation of new concepts and/or the disclosing of different ways of being/becoming, and second, to draw attention to an underlying assumption that might maintain the neglect of philosophical traditions beyond Western philosophy.

Allah, God, YHWH, Gott*: Language-Aware Perspectives on References to God in Religious and Worldview Education. A Comparative Study of Finnish and German School Textbooks

Abstract Language awareness is part of religious and worldview education. In this study, we understand religious and worldview education as language-sensitive and argue that it is necessary to investigate the perspectives on religious language in language-aware school pedagogy. In our view, religious language can be an identity marker which navigates and reflects one’s position. We analysed the language used in Finnish and German secondary school textbooks for the Lutheran religion, the Roman Catholic religion and for Islam as well as for the subject culture, worldview and ethics (Finland) and practical philosophy (Germany). Using discourse analysis, we examined the representations of God in the textbooks’ chapters about Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which are characterized as monotheistic religions. According to the findings in this study, representations of God in the textbooks refer to the self-understanding of the studied religion in RE. This study also shows that the use of the name of God in textbooks illustrates similarities and differences in Abrahamic religions. We argue that inter-worldview learning in the context of religious and worldview education enables participation, dialogue and encounter, and that language awareness is part of inter-worldview learning.

Dialectics of wellness: philosophical practice in Chinese contexts

This study delves into the potential of philosophical practice to enhance individual well-being within the Chinese cultural context. It begins with an exploration of the foundational components and methodologies of philosophical practice, illuminating its dialogic nature, problem-solving orientation, and focus on self-development. A comparative analysis between philosophical practice and psychological counseling is offered, indicating the former’s uniqueness in fostering equal-footing client-practitioner relationships and empowering individuals through questioning. Emphasizing the significance of these practices’ contextual applications, the study elaborates on how philosophical practice aligns with traditional Chinese dialectic principles like holism, change, and conflict acceptance. Opportunities and challenges for expanding philosophical practice within China are presented, discussing cultural nuances like introversion and stigma around mental health services. The study concludes by highlighting the limitations and suggesting directions for future investigations, underscoring the importance of cultural responsiveness and termination protocol development. Ultimately, this examination concentrates on the promising prospect of philosophical practice serving as a practical guide towards enriched existential comprehension and adaptive coping strategies that promote overall well-being in China.

Sociable individualism: Christian Jakob Kraus and the Königsberg Enlightenment

ABSTRACT Christian Jakob Kraus (1753–1807), political economist and Professor of Practical Philosophy at the University of Königsberg, has long been neglected by historians, dismissed as a translator, a teacher, and a derivative disciple of Adam Smith. This article posits sociability as a useful category for understanding Kraus’s life, thought, and legacy. It aims to thereby reposition him as a meaningful figure in the late German Enlightenment. First, Kraus is presented as a natural Einsiedler who, surrounded by the commercially vibrant Königsberg, comes to champion a methodology foregrounding praxis, lived experience, and the application of ideas for communal benefit. This ‘sociable’ approach to knowledge is contextualised within broader critiques of scholarly esotericism across Germany. Second, his work is treated as a case study elucidating the interdependence of individualism and sociability in the wider European Enlightenment. I argue that Kraus expressed a ‘sociable individualism,’ drawing upon Smith and Immanuel Kant, which harmonised autonomy and community.

The Megaric Possibility Paradox

Abstract In Metaphysics Theta 3 Aristotle attributes to the Megarics and unknown others a notorious modal thesis: (M) something can φ only if it is φ-ing. Aristotle does not tell us what motivated (M). Almost all scholars take Aristotle’s report to indicate that the Megarics defended (M) as a highly counterintuitive doctrine in modal metaphysics. But this reading faces several problems. First: what would motivate the Megarics to hold such a counterintuitive view? The existing literature tries, in various ways, to motivate (M) in a way neither trivial nor absurd. But, as we will argue, the main approaches end up attributing an unsustainable position to the Megarics. Second: most historical evidence for the Megaric lineage presents the group’s philosophical practice as dialectical or negative. So why think that the claim reported in Theta 3 presents a positive, and highly controversial, metaphysical claim? This paper addresses these problems by proposing a dialectical (or negative) reading of the Megarics in Theta 3. By ‘dialectical’ we here mean a mode of philosophizing that neither seeks to establish the truth or falsity of certain theses, nor takes a skeptical stance. There are different reasons why a philosopher might want to take up such a mode; in the case of the Megarics we argue that they might have wanted to put pressure on Aristotle’s idea of possibility and the ‘test’ for possibility that Aristotle mentions in several works. Reading, as we do, (M) as (part of) a paradox about possibility and actuality, we argue that the Megarics’ dialectical approach here aims to highlight a shortcoming of an intuitive conception of possibility, which underpins Aristotle’s idea of possibility and which features in his test for possibility.

Chinese Philosophical Practice toward Self-Cultivation: Integrating Confucian Wisdom into Philosophical Counseling

Traditional Chinese philosophy has always paid much attention to the cultivation of one’s body and mind, speeches and behaviors. The contemporary rise of philosophical practice, especially in the context of philosophical counseling, presents an opportunity to integrate the rich legacy of Confucian self-cultivation. This paper endeavors to delineate the practical applications of Confucian principles in philosophical counseling, with special emphasis on the actionable concepts of “gongfu” and “jingjie” and their synthesis in the “unity of knowledge and action”. Through a series of illustrative examples and proposed session outlines, we offer a vivid portrayal of how Confucian thought can be operationalized within a counseling framework to address the existential and ethical dilemmas faced by individuals in ancient and modern times. We argue that the nuanced understanding and practical implementation of these Confucian concepts can significantly enhance the efficacy of philosophical counseling. Additionally, we outline the requisite qualifications for becoming a Confucian philosophical counselor, suggesting a certification process that ensures counselors are both philosophically adept and exemplars of moral cultivation. Thus, this paper not only expounds on the theoretical underpinnings of Confucian thought in philosophical practice but also provides a clear blueprint for its application in contemporary settings.

Educational workshops related to ethical reasoning skills in the provision of end-of-life care by nurses: A suitable and efficient strategy to deal with challenges related to ethical decision-making

As a branch of practical philosophy, ethics focuses on appropriate actions and attitudes toward life, defining what is good and bad or right and wrong in certain situations. Bioethics is a branch of ethics investigating ethical issues in health care, such as life and death. It encompasses many people, including doctors, nurses, patients, and their families. Nursing ethics is another branch of bioethics that examines nurses' ethical difficulties. It is crucial for nursing professionals whose primary goal is to provide human care [1, 2]. One of the most essential parts of providing ethical care is having adequate moral reasoning. Every day, nurses face a variety of ethical dilemmas; the ability to reason ethically might be crucial in these instances [3]. Ethical reasoning, defined as a person's ability to assess and make judgments based on his/her knowledge and conscience to provide the most appropriate answer and rationale in ethical quandaries and difficult clinical conditions, is critical to providing the best patient care. As a result, a lack of ethical reasoning leads to erroneous decision-making and incorrect behavior, which can harm the patients, their family, and the nurses and lead to poor quality treatment and occupational dissatisfaction in nursing [4, 5].

A Philosophical Inquiry into Practical Music Education in the Digital Age

Abstract Starting from the perspectives of constructivist philosophy and process philosophy, this paper uses descriptive analysis to explore the philosophy concept of practical music education, and concludes that practical music philosophy is the result of the comprehensive effect of many factors in music education. On the basis of the philosophy concept of music education, combining the characteristic parameters and objective function and similarity algorithm to construct a practical music education philosophy resource recommendation model to realize the construction of practical music education philosophy in colleges and universities, and adopting the method of statistical analysis to research and analyze the practical music education philosophy in the digital era. The results show that the score of instrumental performance students (4.0431) is significantly lower than that of students of other majors, and the difference is significant, with higher humanistic literacy in art and sports and a better foundation in cultural courses. The order of correlation between the scores of emotional identity dimension and the factors influencing the work of values cultivation in the philosophy of practical music education is, in descending order, the object of education (0.499), the subject of education (0.451), the mediator of education (0.476), and the ring of education (0.287), which indicates that the object of education (college students) is the most important factor influencing the work of values cultivation in the philosophy of practical music education. The purpose of this study is to examine the meaning and significance of practical music education philosophy, which is a significant source of inspiration for music education in China today.

On the Incompatibility of Pragmatist Philosophy and Scientistic Philosophy

In this paper we claim that pragmatist philosophical practice is incompatible with scientistic philosophy. The kind of pragmatism used for making this case follows the spirit and method of philosophical pragmatists such as William James, John Dewey, Richard Rorty, and a related pragmatic tradition, Confucian Philosophy. Pragmatism starts from immediate experience, and refuses to cleave off the reality and salience of what is found in such experience in the process of thinking. Pragmatism also concerns itself with social problems, broadly conceived. In contrast to this focus on immediate experience, the influence of science in much philosophizing involves a kind of scientism through which the relevance, value, and even reality of experience is brought into question. It also concerns itself with a narrowly defined set of so-called philosophical problems. In this regard, pragmatist philosophical practice is fundamentally opposed to scientistic philosophical practice. We will start by modelling the kind of philosophical practice that stems from pragmatism, and the role of immediate experience in it. Subsequently, we will introduce two modes of philosophizing that diminish if not negate the role of experience. One is bald naturalist philosophizing, and the other is a priori scientific philosophizing. In the last section, we will show how main commitments of both of these traditions are incompatible with a pragmatist philosophy that remains committed to the original impulse of pragmatism.

Pensar a organização e os estudos organizacionais desde a filosofia da práxis

Abstract This essay proposes a reflection on the themes of organization and organizational studies, taking the propositions of Adolfo Sánchez Vázquez’s philosophy of praxis as the foundation. The author’s propositions are systematized in the first part of the text, what refers to the definitions of praxis and teleology - what defines the proper human activity - to the inseparable relationship between theory and practice in praxis; to the levels and forms of praxis - repetitive and creative, spontaneous and reflexive; to the philosophy of praxis. Based on these foundations, a reflection is made on Administrative Theories, Organizational Theories, Management as the hegemonic version in Administration and Organizational Studies (OS), Organizational Analysis understood as a predominantly interpretive and constructionist theoretical activity, and Critical Management Studies. It ends with a discussion about OS as a space with the potential for a creative praxis in relation to the organization of liberating social struggles. The challenge is to think about organization as a category with possibilities of content developed based on creative dialogues and learning processes with the knowledge produced in the praxis of organizing liberating concrete struggles embedded in material socio-historical relations.

Thinking about organization and organization studies based on the philosophy of praxis

Resumen Este ensayo propone una reflexión sobre los temas de la organización y los estudios organizacionales tomando las proposiciones de Adolfo Sánchez Vázquez sobre la filosofía de la praxis como fundamento. Las proposiciones del autor se encuentran sistematizadas en la primera parte del texto en lo que se refiere a las definiciones de praxis y teleología - lo que define la actividad propiamente humana -; a la relación inseparable entre teoría y práctica en la praxis; a los niveles y formas de la praxis - reiterativa y creadora, espontánea y reflexiva -; a la filosofía de la praxis. Posteriormente, con base en estos fundamentos, se realiza una reflexión sobre las teorías administrativas, las teorías organizacionales, el management como versión hegemónica en la Administración y en los Estudios Organizacionales (EO), el Análisis Organizacional entendido como actividad teórica marcadamente interpretativa y construccionista, y los Critical Management Studies. Se finaliza con una discusión sobre los EO como espacio con potencial para una praxis creadora en relación con la organización de luchas sociales liberadoras. El reto es concebir la organización como una categoría con posibilidades de contenido desarrolladas a partir de diálogos creativos y procesos de aprendizaje con el conocimiento que es producido en la praxis de organizar luchas liberadoras concretas, insertas en la materialidad de relaciones sociohistóricas.

Knowledge, Confidence, and Epistemic Injustice

In this paper I begin by explaining what epistemic injustice is and what ordinary language philosophy is. I then go on to ask why we might doubt the usefulness of ordinary language philosophy in examining epistemic injustice. In the first place, we might wonder how ordinary language philosophy can be of use, given that many of the key terms used in discussing epistemic injustice, including ‘epistemic injustice’ itself, are not drawn from our ordinary language. We might also have doubts about the usefulness of ordinary language philosophy in this area, given ordinary language philosophers’ aversion to theory. Finally, we might have doubts about the usefulness of ordinary language philosophy due to the fact that the study of epistemic injustice is clearly a study of practical matters concerning the way the world is and has been historically. If ordinary language philosophy is just concerned with grammar, what use can it be to practical and social philosophy concerning current issues? In response to these worries, I demonstrate the usefulness of ordinary language philosophy in practice by applying the insights of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Alan R. White to a problem that Miranda Fricker raises, but does not answer: about whether there is a confidence condition on knowledge. I also make use of Gilbert Ryles distinction between ‘the use of ordinary language’ and ‘the ordinary use of an expression’ to show that the terminology used in examining epistemic injustice is ordinary in some sense.

Teaching Philosophy at Kharkiv University in the 19th — Early 20th Century (according to students’ recollections)

The article highlights the peculiarities of teaching philosophy at Kharkiv University in the 19th and early 20th according to students’ recollections. Gaining this historical experience will contribute to solving the urgent problems of optimising humanities courses in higher education today. It is found out that Kharkiv University became the centre of development of philosophical science in Ukraine. Through the efforts of public figures, it was possible to invite Johann Schad, a graduate of the German school, to become a professor of the newly created Department of Speculative and Practical Philosophy. His efforts to develop the department and the progressive views of the academic staff alarmed the authorities resulting in the formation of a faculty subservient to the regime, decrease in the level of teaching of philosophical disciplines, and subsequently, the dissolution of the Department of Philosophy. The main emphasis in the professional training of students is placed on historical disciplines, primarily the study of Russian history. It was only in the 1870s that Kharkiv University was able to provide its students with a proper philosophical education. The analysis of students’ recollections of the institution shows the popularity of philosophy courses and the respect of students for the teaching staff. At the beginning of the twentieth century, with the permission of the government, student clubs were established. Unfortunately, the level of popularity of philosophical circles was low due to the chauvinistic views of their leaders. Nevertheless, it was found that thanks to the efforts of the academic staff of Kharkiv University, Ukrainian philosophical thought is being formed and popularised abroad.

«Философы всегда будут восхищаться Кантом…»

The topics of this issue, devoted to the tercentenary of Immanuel Kant’s birth, focus on his practical philosophy, most notably on the problems of free will in the light of the debates at the end of the eighteenth century; on the concept of human dignity and its reflection in daily life and in the main legal documents of the Russian Federation; on the possibility of deriving positive duties from the categorical imperative; and on the relevance of Kantian ethics to modern-day realities. The issue of the reception of Kant’s philosophy in Russia is also discussed, using as an example the article by Russian religious philosopher Alexey Vvedensky in the historical context of Kant’s early reception and subsequent fate in the twentieth century.

Franklin Leopoldo e Silva, lecteur brésilien de Bergson : contribution à l’histoire globale du bergsonisme

This article shows how the Brazilian historian of philosophy and philosopher Franklin Leopoldo e Silva (1947-) interpreted Bergson’s problem of causality. I first show how Bento Prado Jr. (1937-2007) explained the rewriting of Kant’s “Transcendental Aesthetics” made in the second chapter of Bergson’s Time and Free Will. I then reveal how Leopoldo e Silva draws consequences from such a rewriting in the field of ethics, as if the third chapter of Time and Free Will were a kind of rewriting of the “Transcendental Dialectic.” Finally, based on a reflection on the trajectory of the Brazilian authors studied, I question the following problem: Can we practice philosophy by making the history of philosophy in Brazil?

О кантовском понятии человеческого достоинства сегодня

Although Kant was born three hundred years ago, his practical philosophy is still relevant and helpful for understanding difficult and crucial issues of today. One example is the strange transformation the concept of human dignity has undergone in post-Soviet Russia — in everyday language, in ideological doctrines, and in legal documents. While in ordinary life dignity is increasingly reduced to access to material benefits, in its legal sense — above all in the 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation — anti-communist ideology has turned it into the “right” to enjoy comfortable living conditions, being almost totally divorced from duties and from morality. Such interpretations of human dignity lead to a dead end, creating problems for its perception and for its relationship to other constitutional provisions — problems that are impossible to resolve in the framework of such an interpretation of right. By turning to Kant, one of the pillars of the modern egalitarian universalist conception of human dignity, we can trace the idea of personal dignity back to its origin as an absolute inner value which, unlike external material benefits, has no equivalent, and involves self-legislation, restriction of freedom, and the fulfilling of moral duty.

Do It Yourself

This article draws on Claude Lévi-Strauss and Michel de Certeau’s theorizations of bricolage in order to explore Bernard Stiegler’s philosophical practice. Taking as its point of departure the elements of intellectual biography provided by Stiegler in Acting Out (2009), it explores his (re)deployment of existing philosophical concepts and the sedimentary nature of his own thought. The article then moves to consider the presence of concepts and practices of mystagogy in Taking Care of Youth and the Generations (2010), arguing that these are a restaging of the dynamics of Acting Out on a collective, rather than an individual scale. Ultimately, the article turns to Stiegler’s late aesthetic writing to explore how his theorization of the roles of amateur and artist might point us towards the lineaments of his unfinished “mystagogy.”