The unexamined life in the age of anxiety: Philosophical counseling's distinct utility for contemporary existential crisis

Session

Psychology

Description

This paper argues that Philosophical Counseling (PC) offers a necessary and distinct alternative to conventional psychotherapy for addressing the existential and conceptual challenges of contemporary life. Unlike psychotherapy’s clinical and symptom-focused framework, PC engages directly with non-pathological forms of distress arising from global crises such as the identity challenges posed by artificial intelligence and the ethical despair triggered by climate change. A literature review across philosophical, psychological, and ethical databases delineates the theoretical boundary between clinical pathology and conceptual distress. Techniques such as Socratic logical analysis and the application of philosophical wisdom traditions are identified as uniquely suited to these dilemmas. For issues defined by value conflict, loss of meaning, and conceptual incoherence, PC provides a more fitting methodological framework.

Keywords:

Philosophical counseling, psychotherapy, existential distress, professional ethics, meaning making

Proceedings Editor

Edmond Hajrizi

ISBN

978-9951-982-41-2

Location

UBT Lipjan, Kosovo

Start Date

25-10-2025 9:00 AM

End Date

26-10-2025 6:00 PM

DOI

10.33107/ubt-ic.2025.330

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Oct 25th, 9:00 AM Oct 26th, 6:00 PM

The unexamined life in the age of anxiety: Philosophical counseling's distinct utility for contemporary existential crisis

UBT Lipjan, Kosovo

This paper argues that Philosophical Counseling (PC) offers a necessary and distinct alternative to conventional psychotherapy for addressing the existential and conceptual challenges of contemporary life. Unlike psychotherapy’s clinical and symptom-focused framework, PC engages directly with non-pathological forms of distress arising from global crises such as the identity challenges posed by artificial intelligence and the ethical despair triggered by climate change. A literature review across philosophical, psychological, and ethical databases delineates the theoretical boundary between clinical pathology and conceptual distress. Techniques such as Socratic logical analysis and the application of philosophical wisdom traditions are identified as uniquely suited to these dilemmas. For issues defined by value conflict, loss of meaning, and conceptual incoherence, PC provides a more fitting methodological framework.