Philosophical Practice as Moral Friendship: The Musical Logos in Moral Taste

Sex may be a devaluated subject in the history of philosophy—arguably, the most terrifying thing for a rational being—yet most philosophers wrote on sexuality, its relation to love, its ethics, metaphysics, and its potential epistemological power. A source of great happiness, thus, sometimes of great misery as well, it certainly is a powerful and puzzling force to contend with in everyday life. It may be difficult to do sexuality full justice as well as incorporate it in a harmonious life along with other forces that shape our life. It is most definitely an important part of everyone’s experience, if not in action at least in thought. As such, it deserves our attention as philosophical counsellors and practitioners. As far as I know, however, the subject has not been addressed in past conferences of the philosophical practice movement. On the 22nd anniversary of these conferences, I believe the movement is mature enough to address this theme and ask: How can philosophical practitioners contribute to a supposedly enlightened generation on the subject of sexuality? In what follows, I explain why philosophical practitioners cannot eclipse sexuality.