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Philosophical Practice

Often, when one thinks of Philosophy one doesn’t associate it with the word practical despite the alliterative links between the two. The former is derived from the greek word sophia- wisdom and philo- love. It roughly translates to the ‘love of wisdom’. The latter can be traced to the Greek word Praktikos meaning fit for action. If etymology is our guide, then when we talk about philosophical practice we talk about a philosophy which is fit for action. Philosophical practice is based on the idea that philosophy can be used to solve real-life issues.

It includes numerous fields such as Philosophical Counselling, Philosophy for/with Children, and Philosophy for Teachers. Each of these fields highlights overlapping but distinct applications of Philosophy. Philosophy is used by philosophical counsellors to help clients question their premises and reframe the narratives that they have accepted and internalised. Philosophy with/for Children enriches children with frameworks to engage with ideas. Philosophy for teachers tackles questions of pedagogy and how we can bring meaningful change to another person's life. Philosophical practitioners attempt to use their training in Philosophy to bring tangible changes to the world. We use various tools available to us as philosophers to counsel, teach, learn, and create real-world impact.

We intend to promote the following Philosophical Practices:

Philosophical Counselling
Philosophy for/with Children
Philosophy for Teachers
Socratic Dialogues
Philosophical Cafés
Philo-dramas
Philosophical companionship
Deep-philosophy Sessions

Philosophy for Teachers

Teaching in current times is emerging as an extremely demanding profession, with newer issues and challenges being identified each day. These require the teacher to deal with a lot more than just teaching in the classroom. Philosophy for Teacher envisions the development of a ‘community of practitioners’ where they dialogue, reflect, and inquire collaboratively on these issues and concerns.

We conduct sessions that help teachers feel comfortable and safe in voicing their concerns that otherwise are potentially controversial or sensitive. They delve deeper into these ideas to identify and understand what lies at the core of the issue. However, Philosophy for Teachers sessions is not just about solving and understanding issues of practice through engaging in critical and reflective inquiry. It is also a space where a teacher understands oneself and their positionality in the classroom, in the system, in one’s own life and the intersectionality of them all. This will help teachers to be better practitioners and make informed decisions in the classroom. They will realise the value of a community as practitioners and will be able to solve ethical dilemmas better by exploring its nature and various aspects at length. It will also help them make prompt choices regarding their pupils, the discipline taught, or the system.

Philosophical Café

A philosophical café is an informal meeting of people from different backgrounds to discuss various philosophical topics, concepts, and ideas such as love, emotions, death, purpose, meaning, etc. A philosophical café provides a more free and accessible space wherein people can engage in philosophical dialogues for more clarity about the topic and/or for social bonding with others who think alike.

A philosophical practitioner moderates a philosophical café. The practitioner facilitates the flow of the conversation by laying out some tentative ideas associated with the topic, which contextualise the issue. The moderator then poses or takes questions from the audience. The moderator may periodically comment on the process, clarify a concept, or reorient the thread if it veers too far from the topic.

Anyone keen on reflecting, critical thinking, reasoning, analysis, and dialogue is welcome to join our Philo-cafés. We do conduct online Philo-café, but we prefer organising them in cafés.

For more information, Contact Us.

Philosophy for/with Children

What if it is all a dream? Where does time come and go? Are dreams real? Do you feel your child asks too many questions? Have you ever heard your child ask a question that leaves you speechless, and you don't know how to respond? Well, we have you covered!

Reach out if you want your child(ren) to

develop logical skills such as identifying assumptions, conclusions, identifying contradictions, drawing parallels, and so on, and apply the same to real-life scenarios.
learn to express oneself in a community by sharing one’s views, listening respectfully to others, and knowing when and how to alter one’s views in light of new information or evidence.
develop and apply philosophical insight and sensitivity towards oneself, life, and others.
learn one’s course content holistically and with much greater depth than usual.