Philosophy as Therapy
Oct 23, 2014A lot of philosophers I knowneedtherapy. I can’t think of too many I know I would want to be my therapist, however. What do philosophers know about therapy? But leave philosophers aside for a minute. How about philosophy itself?
We must grant that people have a lot of irrational beliefs, and that these beliefs can lead to unhappiness of all sorts: anxiety, fear, depression, and the sorts of things for which therapy is needed? So if philosophy can undermine those irrational beliefs, and thereby remove the anxiety, fear, and depression, we have philosophy as therapy. This doesn’t mean every philosopher is suited to be a therapist. But the activity getting rid of irrational beliefs can be therapeutic.