Paper presentation: Spinozian Roots of Philosophical Counselling
Abstract: The interest of researchers in Spinoza’s philosophy has manifested itself over the centuries by approaching his works from various perspectives. With the development of practical philosophy in recent decades, and especially of philosophical counseling, Spinoza’s works have been brought to attention as important resources for developing models in this activity. Spinoza was a practical philosopher and in the elaboration of his works, particularly in the Ethics, he intended to develop a practical, educational system of thought. This paper explores the Spinozian roots present in current philosophical therapy and counseling. It is highlighted that the author proposes a remedy for a meaning of human life based on rational conduct and the involvement of the human being in his own examination as existence.
BIO: MARIA SINACI is PhD in Philosophy, lecturer at the “Aurel Vlaicu” University of Arad, and associate researcher at the Institute for Social and Political Research, West University of Timișoara, Romania. She is member of international and national organizations: International Association of Ethics Education (IAEE); European Society for Moral Philosophy (ESMP); International Association of Bioethics (IAB); Romanian Committee on History and Philosophy of Science and Technology of the Romanian Academy, Timișoara Branch. Recently authored books: Bioetica și ameliorarea umană. O perspectivă filosofică [Bioethics and Human Enhancement. A Philosophical Perspective], Eikon, București, 2021, and Normativitate şi bioetică. Aspecte filosofice contemporane [Normativity and Bioethics. Contemporary Philosophical Aspects], Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca, 2014; she is co-editor with Stefan Lorenz Sorgner of the volume Ethics of Emerging Biotechnologies. From Educating the Young to Engineering Posthumans, Trivent Publishing, Budapest, 2018 (in English); and co-editor of series Comunicare, cultură și societate [Communication, Culture and Society] – five collective volumes (most recently 2022).