Practical philosophy

Short description: Branch of philosophy regarding practice as opposed to theory

Practical philosophy concerns itself mainly with subjects that have applications in life, like the study of values, norms, politics, art, etc.^[1] The modern division of philosophy into theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy^[2]^[3] has its origin in Aristotle's categories of natural and moral philosophy.^[4] The one has theory for its object, and the other practice.^[2]

Subjects of practical philosophy

Examples of practical philosophy subjects are:

Philosophical counseling

Practical philosophy is also the use of philosophy and philosophical techniques in everyday life. This can take a number of forms including reflective practice, personal philosophical thinking, and philosophical counseling.

Examples of philosophical counseling subjects include:

University education

In Sweden^[5] and Finland courses in theoretical and practical philosophy are taught separately, and are separate degrees. Other countries may use a similar scheme—some Scottish universities, for example, divide philosophy into logic, metaphysics, and ethics—but in most universities around the world philosophy is taught as a single subject. There is also a unified philosophy subject in some Swedish universities, such as Södertörns Högskola.

References

↑ "Practical Philosophy". 2021-11-19. https://www.fil.lu.se/en/department/subjects-at-the-department/practical-philosophy/.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Immanuel Kant, Lectures on Ethics, Cambridge University Press, 2001, p. 41 ("On Universal Practical Philosophy"). Original text: Immanuel Kant, Kant’s Gesammelte Schriften, Band XXVII – Moralphilosophie, 1. Hälfte, 1974, p. 243.
↑ Albert Schwegler, A History of Philosophy in Epitome, D. Appleton, 1877, p. 312.
↑ Aristotle, Metaphysics, Book 1.
↑ Department of Philosophy, Stockholm University