Askēsis and the seriousness of playing philosophically

Abstract

Current research into philosophical practice and consultancy tends to be mostly focused on the professionalization of this activity. A large body of reference literature describes methods of working philosophically with people of various ages and belonging to various contexts. The present article brings a contribution to a less addressed field of philosophical practice: askēsis – where individuals encounter and need to respond to their own resistances, difficulties and obstacles to performing philosophical practices as a way of life. Seeking ways to sustain challenging work with ourselves, this article proposes a method of applying askēsis and the gamification of philosophical practices within groups so as to maximize the chances of transforming potentially every human hardship situation into an opportunity for growth and self-transcendence. As an illustration of this view, the specific tasks, activities and results of a play-based philosophical workshop are presented in detail, as well as the response of the participants to them, including: positive feedback, increase in motivation for participating and enjoyment of the practice despite the difficulties associated with askēsis.