Handbook of Philosophical Companionships : Principles, Procedures, Exercises

A philosophical companionship is a group of people, philosophers or non-philosophers, who meet online or face-to-face and contemplate in togetherness on philosophical ideas. They resonate with each other and give voice to their inner depth, developing together profound insights. The companionship format has been developed in recent years by Ran Lahav and his colleagues from the Philosophical Practice movement.

This handbook is a practical and theoretical guide to philosophical companionships. It explains the general principles of the companionship and provides a detailed survey of practical procedures and exercises for the use of facilitators and groups wishing to experience philosophical contemplation.

Ran Lahav received his PhD in philosophy and Master's in psychology from the University of Michigan. He joined the Philosophical Practice movement in its early stages, in 1992. Since then he has been working extensively with individuals and groups, teaching university courses on the topic, organizing numerous workshops and conferences, and writing articles and books about the field. He now lives in rural Vermont, USA, and emerges occasionally for philosophical activities around the world.