Philosophy as therapeutics: epistemological aspects of the "care of the self" and the Stoic roots of Early Modern Philosophy

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleFilosofia ca terapie: aspecte epistemologice ale „îngrijirii de sine” şi moştenirea stoicã a filosofiei moderne
3. Language term Romanian
4. Alternative title Filosofia ca terapie: aspecte epistemologice ale „îngrijirii de sine” şi moştenirea stoicã a filosofiei moderne (en)
5. lemma category Concepts of knowledge and modes of reasoning > Philosophy of science/epistemology - Scientific theories and disciplines > Medicine
6. Publication date 20-1-2007
7. lemma work Jalobeanu, Dana [Author]. Philosophy as therapeutics: epistemological aspects of the "care of the self" and the Stoic roots of Early Modern Philosophy
8. lemma manifestations Transdisciplinarity in Science and Religion
9. Keywords Stoicism - therapy - epistemology
10. Url Click Here
11. Lemma body

    1. There is a less discussed meaning of early modern philosophy at the beginning of seventeenth century: a "practical" meaning connected with seeing philosophy as a way of life or a way of self-fashioning. In many ways, such a direction of early modern philosophy has important therapeutic aspects. The philosopher is conceived as a doctor of the soul, capable of mending the inherent deficiency of the fallen human nature. Such a meaning of "philosophy" has a long tradition starting in Antiquity. As a matter of fact, there has been a long ongoing discussion about "philosophy as a way of life" following Foucault's conception of "technologies of the self" and Pierre Hadot's attempt to equate Ancient philosophy with a set of spiritual exercises. However, such a discussion has been limited to Ancient philosophy and most of its proponents agree upon the fact that such a therapeutic meaning of philosophy disappears in the century of the scientific revolution. In her paper Jalobeanu shows that this is still a primary meaning of philosophical activity for Francis Bacon and for several Baconians of the seventeenth century. She also shows that at stake here is not philosophy in general, but something more precise, ie the "new" natural philosophy. She also investigates the sources of such an understanding of philosophy, emphasizing interesting points of continuity in the revival of an alternative tradition, claiming that we can talk about the Stoic roots of early modern philosophy.