The Arts in Philosophical Practice

How can the arts enrich philosophical practice and help us better investigate the complexities of human existence?
This interdisciplinary edited collection delves into the interplay between philosophy and the arts, showcasing how their combination can inspire new ways of thinking, connecting, reflecting, imagining, and understanding. By discussing ways in which art forms-literature, music, drama, visual arts, and more-and arts-based methods can be integrated into philosophical practice, the book reveals how abstract ideas can be made tangible, and dense philosophical concepts can be expressed in accessible and profound ways.
In the continual process of human self-examination, the arts have played and still play an important role as reflective, embodied practices in what it means to lead a human life, what it means to be a human being, and how humans relate to each other. Though the arts can be a mere distraction, they can equally engage the human mind and body in pondering the existential paradoxes and puzzles of being. The arts and philosophy share a mutual aim: to question life's fundamental aspects without proposing final answers, embracing creativity, openness, and exploration.
From discussing values and virtues to addressing human vulnerabilities, this book, edited by Jeanette Bresson Ladegaard Knox, illustrates how philosophical practice becomes vibrant and impactful when it engages with the emotional and sensory world of the arts. Through theoretical insights, practical applications, and creative interventions, it illuminates how the arts and philosophy can jointly enhance professional fields and contribute to the art of living.

Jeanette Bresson Ladegaard Knox is Senior Researcher in Medical Humanities and Ethics at the Faculty of Medicine, Copenhagen University, Denmark.

List of Contributors Preface: The Arts in Philosophical Practice: Prospects, Perspectives, and Practices Chapter 1. Phenomenology of Very Young Children and Picturebooks, Tomoko Masaki (Seiwa College, Japan) Chapter 2. Art as a Resource in Teaching: Using the Arts to Reflect on Critical Ideas in Different Subjects, Ann S. Pihlgren (Ignite Research Institute, Sweden) Chapter 3. Rethinking the Yellow Sun, Pia Houni (Finnish Philosophical Counselling Association, Finland) Chapter 4. Cathartic Care: Otherness in Doctoring and Dialoguing, Jeanette Bresson Ladegaard Knox (Copenhagen University, Denmark) Chapter 5. A Theoretical and Creative Life, Luis de Miranda (University of Turku, Finland) Chapter 6. The Use of Poetry Therapy in Philosophical Practice A Case Study: Ivan Petrovich and His Crisis of Faith, Vaughana Feary (Fairleigh Dickinson University, USA) Chapter 7. Pursuing Wisdom in Riddles: Practicing Philosophy with Poetry on the Puzzle of Our Existence, Sebastian Rehnman (University of Stavanger, Norway) Chapter 8. Fiction in Philosophical Practice, Detlef Staude (philosophical practice, Switzerland) Chapter 9. Philosophers of Music: Imaginary Counselors for Musicians?, Manos Perrakis (Athens, Greece / Vienna, Austria) Chapter 10. Sculpting Space: Philosophical Practice through Design, Lydia Amir (Tufts University, USA) Chapter 11. Art as Philosophical Practice: Ten Responses to Folly, Tyranny, and War, Lou Marinoff (The City College of New York, USA) Index