Interdisciplinary Research in Counseling, Ethics and Philosophy - IRCEP

The Philosophical Diagnosis Revised: Developing an Idea in Philosophical Practice

2025-07-02T21:30:08+03:00

In this paper, I will discuss the idea of a diagnosis in philosophical consultations and the critique it met. A contemporary philosopher, Deleuze, defined philosophy as the art of producing concepts and that is exactly what we do in philosophical consultations. Such a philosophical concept or (reflexive) idea can be called a diagnosis. A philosophical diagnoses should be distinguished from other kind of diagnoses (medical, psychological, financial, organizational, etc.). Following Achenbach, founding father of private philosophical practices, a philosophical diagnosis does not point at what there is like for example a medical diagnosis points out disease, but expresses what there is not, for example what to do while being ill. A philosophical diagnosis is a concept produced in a consultation, expressing phronesis or situational wisdom. It serves as a description of a problem, question or theme in philosophical terms on the one hand and provides a lesson in terms of a new way to look at one-self and/or situations on the other hand. It points to a way of philosophizing and serves as cornerstone for a metaphor providing meaning to the individual as outcome of the consultation process.

Between Automation and Authenticity: Ethically Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Philosophical Counseling

2025-08-15T16:01:31+03:00

This article explores the ethical and practical integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the field of philosophical counseling. As language models become increasingly capable of simulating reflective dialogue, questions arise about their role in human-centered practices grounded in authenticity, empathy, and critical inquiry. Philosophical counseling, unlike psychological therapy, aims not to treat but to clarify, question, and deepen the client’s engagement with existential and conceptual challenges. The article argues that AI, while incapable of replacing the relational depth and ethical responsibility of the human counselor, can serve as a valuable complementary tool. A three-phase hybrid model is proposed, in which AI is used to support conceptual mapping, offer counter-perspectives, and enhance reflective thinking — always under the guidance of a trained human facilitator. Ethical challenges are addressed, including issues of privacy, dependency, anthropomorphization, and the risk of undermining philosophical authenticity. The article includes simulated dialogue, a visual integration model, and a reflective questionnaire to support ethical implementation. It concludes by outlining directions for empirical and theoretical research, including the design of philosophy-specific AI tools and the development of assessment frameworks for AI-assisted dialogue. Ultimately, the article calls for a cautious but creative use of AI in philosophical practice — one that respects the integrity of the human encounter while exploring how technology might expand the space of meaningful questioning.

Bridging Philosophical Practice: A Theoretical Framework for Integrating Logic-Based Therapy (LBT) and Philosophy for Children (P4C)

2025-08-09T14:36:23+03:00

This paper presents a theoretical enabler for a new, interdisciplinary approach designed to improve children's emotional well-being by integrating Logic-Based Therapy (LBT) and Philosophy for Children (P4C). This article addresses a gap in the literature by outlining an intervention example for children aged 10-15 which aims to respond to the increasing global concerns about youth mental health. This approach relies on the synergistic blend of P4C's collaborative "Community of Inquiry" with LBT's structured, virtue-oriented process for identifying and challenging irrational beliefs (Cardinal Fallacies). The theoretical model highlights that the P4C environment creates a safe and developmentally appropriate space for children to engage in LBT's cognitive restructuring. In addition, LBT provides a practical, well-being focused direction to the philosophical dialogue. This article serves as a foundational blueprint, presenting a methodology to inform the development of future empirical studies which target to evaluate the long-term impact of this integrated approach on emotional well-being.

An overview of ethics of research and development in business area

2025-09-14T21:14:43+03:00

The importance of ethics in research and development (R&D) has been increasing in recent decades, with more fields of activity involved. In the business field, ethics takes many forms, from ethical behavior to the effects of ethics in business. The objective of the paper is to provide an overview and identify the topics addressed on the ethics in research and development activity from the perspective of companies' businesses. The research methodology is qualitative, with an analysis of a sample of relevant papers that have studied ethics in R&D over the last 50 years, papers that were published in journals indexed in Web of Science Clarivate Analytics. The results obtained show that most of the papers were published in the second part of the selected interval, namely in this millennium. Most of the topics addressed were related to corporate governance and sustainability, ethical developments, changes and perceptions. The paper is a systematic review of the literature that contains useful approaches for researchers in identifying the importance of ethics in business, especially in R&D.