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Public philosophy is a subfield of
philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
that involves engagement with the public.


Definition

Jack Russell Weinstein defines public philosophy as "doing philosophy with general audiences in a non-academic setting". It must be undertaken in a public venue but might deal with any philosophical issue. Michael J. Sandel describes public philosophy as having two aspects. The first is to "find in the political and legal controversies of our day an occasion for philosophy". The second is "to bring moral and political philosophy to bear on contemporary public discourse". James Tully emphasizes that public philosophy is done through ''practice'', through the contestable concepts of citizenship, civic freedom, and nonviolence. According to Sharon Meagher, one of the founders of the Public Philosophy Network, public philosophy' is not simply a matter of doing philosophy in public, but must also engage with the community it finds itself in".


Exemplars

The Ancient Greek philosopher
Socrates Socrates (; ; – 399 BC) was a Ancient Greek philosophy, Greek philosopher from Classical Athens, Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and as among the first moral philosophers of the Ethics, ethical tradition ...
has been considered to be the "first public philosopher." He engaged with the general public of
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
, discussing issues of importance to them. In the modern day, some public philosophers are academic professionals, such as Mortimer J. Adler,
Jürgen Habermas Jürgen Habermas ( , ; ; born 18 June 1929) is a German philosopher and social theorist in the tradition of critical theory and pragmatism. His work addresses communicative rationality and the public sphere. Associated with the Frankfurt S ...
, Martha Nussbaum, Richard Rorty, James Tully, Jack Russell Weinstein, and
Cornel West Cornel Ronald West (born June 2, 1953) is an American philosopher, theologian, political activist, politician, social critic, and public intellectual. West was an independent candidate in the 2024 United States presidential election and is an ou ...
. Others may work outside of the usual academic contexts of teaching and writing for peer-reviewed journals, such as social activist
Jane Addams Laura Jane Addams (September 6, 1860May 21, 1935) was an American Settlement movement, settlement activist, Social reform, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator, philosopher, and author. She was a leader in the history of s ...
and novelist
Ayn Rand Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; , 1905March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and philosopher. She is known for her fiction and for developing a philosophical system which s ...
. Jack Russell Weinstein, director of The Institute for Philosophy In Public Life, contends that although it is commonplace to argue that public philosophy promotes democracy, this argument assumes philosophers are better
citizen Citizenship is a membership and allegiance to a sovereign state. Though citizenship is often conflated with nationality in today's English-speaking world, international law does not usually use the term ''citizenship'' to refer to nationality ...
s than non-philosophers.


See also

* Public history *
Public intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and Human self-reflection, reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society and proposed solutions for its normative problems. Coming from the wor ...


References


External links


''Essays in Philosophy'', special issue on public philosophy

Committee on Public Philosophy
of the
American Philosophical Association The American Philosophical Association (APA) is the main professional organization for philosophers in the United States. Founded in 1900, its mission is to promote the exchange of ideas among philosophers, to encourage creative and scholarl ...

Institute for Philosophy in Public Life

''Public Philosophy Journal''

Public Philosophy Network
{{Philosophy topics Philosophy by topic
Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...