7th ICPP: Copenhagen, Denmark , 2004
BIO OF Finn Thorbjørn Hansen
I am a Full Professor, PhD, in Philosophical and Dialogical Practice at Centre for Dialog and Organization, University of Aalborg, Northern Denmark. My research field and practical training courses is about 'phenomenology of wonder', existential phenomenology and philosophical hermeneutics and especially wonder-based practices, dialogues, reflections and writings in higher education and professional development.
I was the first researcher in the Nordic Countries to write a PhD about philosophical counselling in connection to existential Bildung (liberal education) in adult learning.
And I have for more than 15 years been working with and leading master classes in existential pedagogy and Philosophical Practice (Philosophical Counselling, Socratic Dialogue Groups, Practices and Workshops in Socratic 'Communities of Wonder') with inspiration from philosophical practitioners such as Gerd Achenbach, Anders Lindseth, Ran Lahav and Lydia Amir. My theoretical inspirations is Pierre Hadot, Michel Foucault, Jan Patocka, Derrida, Heidegger, Gadamer, Arendt, Gabriel Marcel, Max van Manen and Søren Kierkegaard.
I founded and was president of the Danish Society of Philosophical Practice from 2002-2010, today I am a board member. I am now at my university leading a research unit at Centre for Dialogue and Organization called Wonder Lab. Here I have develop a new form of phenomenological-oriented action research approach where I make 'actions-in-the-field' where different forms of contemplative and wonder-based practices and 'workshops' with different types of professionals (hospice nurses, design professors, priests, psychologist, philosophers, social workers, HR-consultants, 'innovation agents' in social and existential innovation at municipal level, college teachers) in different professional settings. I have written several books on this topic.
Invitation and Call for Papers
Final Program
Compendium for Paper Presentations
Philosophical Practice – A Question of Bildung by Gerd Achenbach
General Information
When I now are looking back at the international conference in “Philosophical Practice – A Question of Bildung”(Aug. 3-6, 2004) in Denmark at the Danish University of Education in Copenhagen, I remember that the reason why I and the Danish Society for Philosophical Practice took the initiative for this conference and theme of the conference was a growing worry that Philosophical Practice was about to be too “therapeutic orientated” and too “vocational-minded”(like: what’s the use of it?!). And I and the Danish Society for Philosophical Practice had also an interest in bringing the discipline of Philosophical Practice into the discussion at Academia, that is, in what way may Philosophical Practice be seen as a whole new (or ‘re-vitalized’) way of philosophizing and understanding of what philosophy is?
By bringing the concept of Bildung into the context of Philosophical Practice, and by inviting the German founder of Philosophical Practice, Gerd Acenbach, and other contemporary and distinguished philosophical scholars as Keynotes, as well as inviting a lot of paper presentations or workshops, we hoped to make a change in the reflection upon Philosophical Practice among philosophical practitioners around the world.
I still find it extremely important in higher education, professional development, in health & care and leadership development as well as in the individual search for meaning and wisdom – that we think Philosophical Practice in dialogue with the notion and tradition of Bildung. The world (and planet as the environmental research Washington (2019) is indeed even more now in need of Bildung, and a Sense of Wonder!
Contact data/links:
E-mail: finnth@hum.aau.dk Mobile:+45 30703910
Website: http://finnthorbjornhansen.com