PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY
THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PHILOSOPHY IN PRACTICE
www.practical-philosophy.org.uk www.society-for-philosophy-in-practice.org
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PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHYTHE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PHILOSOPHY IN PRACTICEwww.practical-philosophy.org.uk www.society-for-philosophy-in-practice.org |
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Part 2: Counselling and the Examined Life
Practical Philosophy Spring 2002 Volume 5.1 Pages 17-17
Tim LeBon
Even if the Socratic slogan is an exaggeration, most writers are agreed that leading the examined life is desirable, that counselling can facilitate leading it and that philosophical counselling is particularly well-equipped to do so. In this section, we look at how exactly it can do this.
Jesse Fleming endorses the importance of the Socratic quest - as he says, ‘all life problems have a moral dimension.’ But, and many would agree, Fleming suggests that the examined life isn’t just about a moral examination - to enlightened values he adds emotional wisdom and a good decision procedure, both of which are considered in detail in other articles in this volume. In addition, he describes the qualities needed in the counsellor to facilitate the process including an awareness of relationship, subjectivity and sedimentations. For Fleming, then the examined life is enlightened by Heidegger and existential therapy as much as by Socrates.
Peter Raabe also believes that the quest for the examined life is quite central to philosophical counselling. ‘Philosophical counselling’, he says, ‘is [a] cooperative examination of a particular individual’s life.’ From his considerable experience as a philosophical counsellor he extracts five elements that are inherent in making the examination a successful one, namely: ‘the client’s recognition that there is a problem, (the client’s) trusting an other, emotional release, insight, and the discovery of alternatives.‘
Of course, philosophical counselling does not have a monopoly on claiming to help people lead the examined life. Windy Dryden one of the most prolific writers on psychotherapy in the UK, provides us with an introduction to Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). Dryden makes the case both for REBT being considered as a philosophical therapy and for its helping its clients lead the examined life. In a sense, Dryden is at one with Nietzsche about therapy – and the examined life – being better when concerned with little things rather than big things. For REBT, the ‘little things’ are the everyday emotional episodes that we endure, for instance those of anger, anxiety and depression. By helping people be more aware of their goals, beliefs, and emotions, and in helping them be more rational, Dryden describes how REBT’s take on the examined life can lead to therapeutic change.
Dona Warren also asserts the importance of emotion in the examined life
but argues, against REBT, that evaluating emotions as irrational is counterproductive.
All emotions are reasonable if we have sufficient
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