Plato Not Prozac: Applying Philosophy to Everyday Problems

There was a time when philosophy meant something to ordinary people and philosophers' ideas were put to good use. Socrates spent his days debating vital issues in the marketplace, and Lao Tzu applied his own advice on following the subtle path to personal happiness and social harmony. Now, as a new millennium dawns, a unique movement called Philosophical Counseling has emerged to return philosophy to its classical roots by combining wisdom and practice to help people solve their most common everyday problems. Call it therapy for the sane. As the leading proponent of this field, philosopher Lou Marinoff, Ph.D., shows us that the road to a successful, fulfilling life begins with a simple choice: Plato, Not Procac!

When people come to see Dr. Marinoff they do not get endless discussions about their childhoods, quick prescriptions for antidepressants, or tedious analyses of their behavior patterns. Instead they learn how the ideas of the world's greatest thinkers can shed light on the way they live, from Kierkegaard's thoughts on coping with death and Kant's theory of obligation to the I Ching's guidelines on adapting to change and Aristotle's advice to pursue reason and moderation. Dr. Marinoff brings philosophy out of the ivory tower and directly into our lives and the dilemmas we all face. including handling love relationships. living ethically, dealing with career changes, being a good parent, coping with loss, and finding meaning and purpose.

Plato, Not Prozac! explains how insights from diverse wisdom traditions can be used to help you help yourself to a better life. The issue is not just how you live, but how well you live. With the right philosophy at the right time, you can enhance or regain that wellness. The book is filled with case studies drawn from the experiences of leading philosophical counselors that demonstrate the effectiveness of philosophy in helping people feel better, think better, and live better. Dr. Marinoffs signature five-step PEACE process shows you how to: identify your problem (P), express your emotions constructively (H). analyze your options (A), contemplate a philosophy that helps you choose and live with your best option (C), and renew your personal equilibrium (E).

A wonderful resource tool, Plato, Not Prozac! also offers an extensive list of philosophical practitioners and organizations as well as a detailed hit parade featuring sixty of the more important and influential philosophers. Dr. Marinoff also gives you a glimpse of the rapid growth of this movement in describing philosophers' cafés. the coporate philosopher, and other ways in which philosophy--the world's second-oldest profession--is making a global comeback and influencing people everywhere. Intelligent, accessible, and utterly persuasive, Plato, Not Prozac! is a groundbreaking alternative to traditional therapies and an indispensable guide to living a healthy, rewarding life. It's available over the counter; no prescription necessary.

"Everyone has a philosophy of life, but few of us have the privilege or leisure to sit around and puzzle out the fine points. We tend to make it up as we go along. Experience is a great teacher, but we also need to reason about our experiences. We need to think critically, looking for patterns and putting everything together into the big picture to make our way through life. Understanding our own philosophy can help prevent, resolve, or manage many problems. Our philosophies can also underlie the problems we experience, so we must evaluate the ideas we hold to craft an outlook that works for us, not against us. You can change what you believe in order to work out a problem, and this book will show you how."
-- from Plato, Not Prozac!

Lou Marinoff, Ph.D., is a philosophy professor at the City College of New York, a pioneer of the philosophical practice movement in North America, and president of the American Philosophical Practitioners Association (AAPA). He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.