Philosophy as a Way of Life

In the ancient world, philosophy was understood to be a practical guide for living, or even itself a way of life. This volume of essays brings historical views about philosophy as a way of life, coupled with their modern equivalents, more prevalently into the domain of the contemporary scholarly world. Illustrates how the articulation of philosophy as a way of life and its pedagogical implementation advances the love of wisdom Questions how we might convey the love of wisdom as not only a body of dogmatic principles and axiomatic truths but also a lived exercise that can be practiced Offers a collection of essays on an emerging field of philosophical research Essential reading for academics, researchers and scholars of philosophy, moral philosophy, and pedagogy; also business and professional people who have an interest in expanding their horizons

Notes on Contributors ix Introduction 1 James M. Ambury, Tushar Irani, and Kathleen Wallace Part 1: History of Philosophy 5 1 Ancient Greek Philosophia in India as a Way of Life 7 Christopher Moore 2 Philosophy and the Good Life in the Zhuangzi 25 Pengbo Liu 3 Esoteric Confucianism, Moral Dilemmas, and Filial Piety 45 William Sin 4 Renaissance Humanism and Philosophy as a Way of Life 65 John Sellars 5 Cartesian Philosophy as Spiritual Practice 83 Joseph I. Breidenstein Jr. 6 Leibniz’s Philosophy as a Way of Life? 97 Paul Lodge 7 Philosophy as a Feminist Spirituality and Critical Practice  for Mary Astell 117 Simone Webb 8 Nietzsche and Unamuno on Conatus and the Agapeic Way of Life 141 Alberto Oya 9 Ways of Discourse and Ways of Life: Plato on the Conflict Between Poetry and Philosophy 155 I-Kai Jeng 10 Stoicism and its Telos: Insights from Michel Foucault 173 Robin Weiss Part 2: Moral Philosophy 193 11 Philosophy as a Way of Life Today: History, Criticism, and Apology 195 Marta Faustino 12 Setting Limits to Practical Reflection: Against Philosophy as a Way of Life 213 Vitor Sommavilla 13 What It Takes to Live Philosophically: Or, How to Progress in the Art of Living 229 Caleb M. Cohoe and Stephen R. Grimm 14 Why Practice Philosophy as a Way of Life? 249 Javier Hidalgo Part 3: Pedagogy 271 15 On the Benefits of Philosophy as a Way of Life in a General Introductory Course 273 Jake Wright 16 Philosophy as Empirical Exploration of Living: An Approach to Courses in Philosophy as a Way of Life 293 Steven Horst Index 309