Philosophieren im öffentlichen Raum – ein Ort des Denkens? | Philosophize in Public Space - A Place for Thinking?

In this day and age we can notice not only an increasing market for philosophy bestsellers and vulgarized introductions to philosophical topics, which fly off the shelves, but also a strong media presence of philosophers and such authors in talk shows and roundtable discussions. The question is, whether the public space is a good place for thinking, or is it just a spot of trivialization, a place for cultivating shallows, that permits apparent understanding, but does not provide deeper insight and well-founded thinking? 

To specify, what it does mean to do philosophy in public space, it is helpful to delineate it in formal respect as given in situations, when it really succeeds. Doing philosophy actually takes place where things hitherto taken for granted are put into question, where strain-hardened concepts and constructed knowledge are challenged. This is the point, where pretended cognitive certainties are getting in a fluid state by questioning their conditions and truth in discussions. If this kind of appropriate conversation happens to succeed, “thinking” in a genuine philosophical sense takes place. 

This kind of Socratic way of philosophizing could be characterized by generating a very lively place for thinking and philosophical encounter, both as a place of unquestionable affiliation and for experience of public spirit – exercising sensus communis in the meaning of Kant. As a place of thinking, it actually opens new perspectives and allows deeper insight in general topics by clarifying concepts and interrelations, and providing coherence of the manifold views and positions. This also offers the discussing individuals the opportunity of responding to the philosophical question in a newly developed wider scope. Such a place of thinking is a vibrant one and always in motion, not bound to a  material place and defined area. Ontologically it could be defined as a category of situation, localized during the term of the dialogue and constituted by the tension and intenseness of paying attention and understanding. 

First, this paper raises the question how this kind of philosophizing in public space works in general and why the outcome of it is an actual place for thinking. As a second point, I want to show, to what extend this kind of practice established in public space could be a substantial contribution to the cross-cultural creation of a lively and sustainable sense of belonging and public spirit – although (or therefore) it encourages the individual and unique responding to the philosophical questions and to the demand of situation. At last, the paper will discuss, why both of these aspects or results usually cannot be achieved by reading (popular) philosophy books – even if they are written for a popular audience, or by listening to philosophical discussions or talks in public – even if they are very interesting and well made with regard to contents and geared towards the media.

Dr. Karin Hutflötz (*1969) Studium der Chemie, Mathematik und Philosophie in München. Promotion bei Prof. Dr. Gerd Haeffner SJ mit einer Dissertation zum Thema: "Wann aber sind wir? Zur Auslegung der Existenz als Daseinsspiel im Ausgang von Martin Heidegger". Forschungssaufenthalte an der Ateneo University in Manila/Philipinnen, in Kanasawa/Japan und an der UC Berkeley/USA. Derzeit Vertretung des vakanten Lehrstuhls für Philosophie/Ästhetische Theorie an der Akademie der bildenden Künste München und Lehrbeauftragte an der Hochschule für Philosophie SJ in München. Inhaltliche Schwerpunkte: Philosophische Anthropologie und Phänomenologie, Philosophie der Kunst, Vergleich westliches und östliches Denken, Philosophie und Bildung - Philosophieren mit Kindern.