Veering Philosophy Towards Its Public Role

The public role of philosophy is, in itself, both a deeply philosophical and a highly public matter. In this paper, the author argues for a stronger engagement of philosophy in social life, acknowledging that there is no straightforward or immediate solution to achieving this goal. The proposed approach focuses on exploring the internal tensions within philosophical thinking and writing, offering suggestions for adjustments to facilitate greater engagement. The main tensions analysed in the paper include: neutrality versus engagement, abstractness versus life-world relevance, finality versus openness, independence versus interdisciplinarity, jargon versus triviality, and philosophy for specialists versus philosophy for an engaged public. The paper concludes with a call for a more active role of philosophy in public life. This can be achieved by rethinking the value and importance of philosophical thinking. In this context, engaging in reflection on the public role of philosophy - its challenges, limitations and potential - is an important step toward veering philosophy toward a more engaged and socially relevant role.