Abstract

The work of the French philosopher Pierre Hadot (1922-2010) is a source of philosophical practice. In his studies on ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, Hadot rediscovered philosophy as a way of life. Different forms of current philosophical practice, such as philosophical consultations, Socratic group dialogues, and philosophy with children or business advice, support philosophy as a way of life. They enable individuals, groups, kids or companies to integrate philosophy in everyday life. Hadot presents Socrates as an example for living in a philosophical way and points at the Greek term atopos, i.e. “out of placeµ (strange, absurd, unclassifiable), to capture his character. In this paper, I want to study the application of this concept in philosophical practice. In line with the Socratic tradition, I will do this by some examples. I will present three consultations out of my own philosophical practice and examine what it means to be atopos, i.e. what it means to live the concept for me as counselor and for my clients as counselees. This will enable us to draw some conclusions on “being atoposµ in philosophical practice.