#20 Lou Marinoff | The Practical Power of Philosophy - in Education, Professions and Life
In this episode of the ResponsAbility Podcast, we speak with philosopher Lou Marinoff, professor at City College of New York and founding president of the American Philosophical Practitioners Association. Marinoff shares his journey from physics to philosophy, and how he became a pioneer of philosophical practice. We talk about his well-known book Plato, Not Prozac and the P4/PEACE framework, his dialogue with Buddhist thinker Daisaku Ikeda in The Inner Philosopher, and his reflections on spirituality, Taoism, and Pierre Hadot’s idea of philosophy as a way of life. Marinoff also discusses his work on the root causes of conflict and argues for philosophy’s crucial role in higher education, professional practice, and in creating the conditions for peace.
00:00:50 - Personal and professional journey
00:03:38 - What philosophical practice can contribute to higher education
00:13:01 - On the relevance of philosophy when facing life’s challenges
00:15:52 - On the P4/PEACE framework and why it is not only about problem-solving
00:30:56 - On The Inner Philosopher with Japanese Buddhist thinker Daisaku Ikeda.
00:35:46 - On spirituality and philosophical practice
00:41:45 - What is Daoist philosophy about, and how might it be applied in life?
00:46:42 - What are the root causes of conflict?
00:55:14 - On understanding conflict and developing towards wisdom
Literature:
00:00:50 - Personal and professional journey
00:03:38 - What philosophical practice can contribute to higher education
00:13:01 - On the relevance of philosophy when facing life’s challenges
00:15:52 - On the P4/PEACE framework and why it is not only about problem-solving
00:30:56 - On The Inner Philosopher with Japanese Buddhist thinker Daisaku Ikeda.
00:35:46 - On spirituality and philosophical practice
00:41:45 - What is Daoist philosophy about, and how might it be applied in life?
00:46:42 - What are the root causes of conflict?
00:55:14 - On understanding conflict and developing towards wisdom
Literature:
- Marinoff, L. (1999). Plato, not Prozac! Applying eternal wisdom to everyday problems. HarperCollins.
- Marinoff, L. (2003). The big questions: How philosophy can change your life. Bloomsbury.
- Marinoff, L. (2004). Therapy for the sane: How philosophy can change your life. Bloomsbury USA. (Note: This work was originally published in hardcover as The Big Questions.)
- Marinoff, L., & Ikeda, D. (2012). The inner philosopher: Conversations on philosophy’s transformative power. Dialogue Path Press.
- Marinoff, L. (2017). The power of Dao: A timeless guide to happiness and harmony. Waterside Productions.
- Marinoff, L. (2019). On human conflict: The philosophical foundations of war and peace. Rowman & Littlefield.
- Marinoff, L. (2020). The middle way: Finding happiness in a world of extremes. Waterside Productions.
