First-, Second-, and Third-Person,
singular, and/or plural.
– Socratic Dialogues
The examination of philosophy is uniquely dependent upon the art and science of professional philosophers who use critical thinking to address moral dilemmas while organizing experiences of mind, which reflect actual orders of objects as they exist in themselves. Philosophers must be both scientific as well as scholarly in one’s approach. Where the former is research based and predicated on the principles of science, the latter is application based and predicated on the scholastic principles as a art. The core tenants of practical philosophy are listed as:
1. Arguments and justifications
2. Terms and concepts
3. Assumptions and implications
4. Theories and their significance for issues
5. Applications in philosophical investigations
Modeling. Two models in-forming as well as en-forming applied philosophy are the scientific-practitioner and practitioner-scholar models; which are known respectively as the Boulder (BM) and Vail (VM) models. The first serves to inform the matter of practice while the second enforms matter as form. In order to synthesize both models, we are able to engage in paradigmatic modeling to create from them a synthesis, which we may describe as paradigmatic.
Boulder. The scientist-practitioner model is used by philosophers in the field of practical philosophy as a means of facilitating applied research. The scientific approach allows practicing philosophers to model a scientific method of applied philosophy. Philosophical models utilize the BM as science.
Vail. The practitioner-scholar model is used by philosophers in the field of practical philosophy as a means of facilitating practicality. The scholarly approach allows practicing philosophers to model a scholastic method of practical philosophy. Philosophical models utilize the VM as arts.
Operations. There are three modes of conducting applied philosophy, which are counseling, consulting, and facilitating. Counseling concerns one’s own personal and or professional matters. Consulting concerns another entity’s personal, professional, or organizational issues. Facilitating concerns groups in topical explorations, or organizational processes at length, and in detail.
Counseling. Individual persons seeking philosopher’s counsel seeks direction in examining one’s own beliefs, views, and traditions as a means of providing assistance with a wide variety of personal and professional issues. The following are core practices of client centered philosophical applications:
1. Examine one’s own beliefs, views or traditions
2. Examine the beliefs, views or traditions of others
3. Contrast beliefs, views or traditions
4. Test beliefs, views or traditions
5. Reform beliefs, views or traditions
6. Propagate beliefs, views, traditions
7. Implement belief systems or traditions to address situations
8. Implement belief systems or traditions to develop new viewpoints
9. Explore the nature of humanity apart from specific beliefs systems, worldviews or traditions
10. Challenge or support belief systems, worldviews or religious traditions
Consulting. Philosophers being consulted are sought to examine another entity’s beliefs, views, and traditions as a means of providing assistance with a variety of conditions and their elements. The following are core practices of organization centered philosophical applications:
1. Develop leadership beliefs, views, and traditions
2. Address unethical leadership practices
3. Ethically manage beliefs, views, and traditions contributing to conflict
4. Cultivate ethical organizations
5. Craft ethical policies, protocols, and procedures
Facilitating. Philosophers facilitating philosophy lead groups of individual persons in philosophical inquiry, not through passive participation, but by actively guiding the direction of inquiry itself in a wide range of environments such as coffee shops to college and university classrooms. Philosophical facilitation is not exclusive to groups of people, but also processes, and programming.
There are three categories of philosophic principles. They are informative adequacy (1-3), probative principles of rational cogency (4-7), and rational economy (8-10). Informative adequacy addresses the problem of providing adequate information as a means of facilitating a better understanding of the issues at hand while empowering our cognitive grip on their substance.
1. Never bar the path of inquiry
2. All affirmation is negation
3. No entity without identity
4. Nothing is without a reason
5. Nothing comes from nothing
6. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link
7. Opt for the least unacceptable alternative
8. The impossible is never to be required
9. It is absurd to demand what cannot be had
10. Never explain what is obscure by something yet more so
Standards. Philosophers rendering professional services must adhere to a code of ethics governing applied philosophy.
1. Endeavor to do no harm
2. Render services with beneficence
3. If necessary, refer clients for appropriate alternative care
4. Respect the dignity, autonomy, confidentiality and anonymity of clients
5. Consult and deliberate with integrity
6. Serve the best interests of community and society
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).