Jeanne Proust - Public Philosophy

Jeanne Proust PhD - Value of Public Philosophy 

Beyond Utility: Why and How Philosophy Matters   

Marin Philosophical Society – 4/20 – San Rafael

In a world driven by productivity, self-improvement, and constant performance, our lives begin to feel like something to optimize rather than to inhabit. Few of us, if any, experience the pressure to achieve without anxiety. Many turn to therapy. Some turn to philosophy, hoping to find tools to think better, feel better, or simply cope with contemporary life.

Has philosophy itself come to be valued only in terms of the benefits it delivers?

Beyond instrumental functions, philosophy urges us to step outside the logic of efficiency by exploring questions that may not yield immediate, pleasing answers. Rather than offering quick solutions, philosophy invites a different, at times uncomfortable, frame of mind: one of curiosity, contemplation, and encounter.

Creating the time and space to think collectively, by turning to practices of public philosophy, may be one of the most powerful ways to restore both the shared meaning we are losing and a more reflective form of self-understanding.

Jeanne Proust PhD Philosophy from Panthéon-Sorbonne, France - currently serves as Vice President of the Public Philosophy Network and is affiliated with UC Santa Cruz Center for Public Philosophy.

VenturePad, 1020 B Street, San Rafael – 12:00-1:30 (light snacks served) Convenient Public Parking at

B & 3rd