Ethical Perspectives 22 (4):601-634 (2015)
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Abstract |
The practical aspect of ancient philosophy has been recently made a focus of renewed metaphilosophical investigation. After a brief presentation of three accounts of this kind developed by Martha Nussbaum, Pierre Hadot, and Michel Foucault, the model of the therapeutic argument developed by Nussbaum is called into question from the perspectives offered by her French colleagues, who emphasize spiritual exercise (Hadot) or the care of the self (Foucault). The ways in which the account of Nussbaum can be defended are then discussed, including both a ‘negative’ defense, i.e. the indication of the weaknesses of Hadot and Foucault’s proposals, and a ‘positive’ one focused on the points in which Nussbaum can convincingly address doubts about her metaphilosophical account. In response to these analyses, some further remarks made by Hadot and Foucault are discussed in order to demonstrate that their accounts are not as distant from Nussbaum after all. Finally, a recent metaphilosophical study by John Sellars together with a therapeutic (medical) model developed by the author of the present article are suggested as providing a framework for potential reconciliation between all three accounts discussed and a resource for further metaphilosophical studies.
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Keywords | Foucault care of the self Hadot spiritual exercises technologies of the self Nussbaum philosophy as therapy therapeutic philosophy Sellars ancient philosophy |
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References found in this work BETA
Technologies of the Self: A Seminar with Michel Foucault.Michel Foucault, Luther H. Martin, Huck Gutman & Patrick H. Hutton (eds.) - 1988 - University of Massachusetts Press.
Philosophy as a Way of Life: Spiritual Exercises From Socrates to Foucault.Pierre Hadot - 1997 - Blackwell.
The Therapy of Desire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics.Martha C. Nussbaum (ed.) - 2009 - Princeton University Press.
Pursuits of Wisdom: Six Ways of Life in Ancient Philosophy From Socrates to Plotinus.John Madison Cooper - 2012 - Princeton University Press.
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Citations of this work BETA
Human Dignity as the Essence of Nussbaum’s Ethics of Human Development.Vasil Gluchman - 2019 - Philosophia 47 (4):1127-1140.
Philosophy as a Feminist Spirituality and Critical Practice for Mary Astell.Simone Webb - 2020 - Metaphilosophy 51 (2-3):280-302.
Between Medicine and Rhetoric: Therapeutic Arguments in Roman Stoicism.Krzysztof Łapiński - 2019 - Argument: Biannual Philosophical Journal 9 (1):11-24.
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2016-02-27
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99 ( #7,483 of 2,507,378 )
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