Abstract

Originally the word «philosophy» had the love of wisdom as one core meaning, and it was conducted as practice. Philosophical dialogues that enables movement from the concrete, contextual and individual towards an abstract, conceptual and general, has potential to lead human beings towards human maturity and wisdom, is the thesis that is dicussed in this article. A dynamic relationship between the individual and the general – the subjective and objective – needs to be established if this is to happen. I have tried to do so in the Dialogos approach to philosophical dialogue, which is briefly described. Against this background I discuss three different approaches to practical philosophy, namely the philosophical practice of Oscar Brenifier, the dialogues of David Bohm, and the Socratic dialogue approach of Leonard Nelson and Gustav Heckman. My question is: To what extent are these practical-philosophical approaches educative practices that leads in the direction of human maturity and wisdom? My conclusion is that non of these approaches are suitable in schools in their pure versions, but thought together and adjusted they can all contribute in establishing educational practice that might do so.