Theoria, Beograd 2022 Volume 65, Issue 1, Pages: 151-165
https://doi.org/10.2298/THEO2201151F
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Life plans and life goals in philosophical practice
Fatić Aleksandar 
(Univerzitet u Beogradu, Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju)
Peričin Ivana (Institut za praktičnu humanistiku, Beograd)
Amid the ongoing and growing rise in the awareness of traditional schools of
psychotherapy of the need for a more philosophical understanding of
themselves and their clients, and the resulting return of the fragmented
modern psychotherapy under the integrative aegis of philosophical practice
(philotherapy), some of the ancient, practical philosophical issues have
resurfaced with force in therapeutic practice. One is the issue of drawing
an appropriate distinction between the concepts of life plan and life goals.
The ancient philosophical figures tended to call the former „reason”, or
„wisdom”. The modern age has reactualized this distinction due to
exceptionally forceful social and technological influences, many of which
have caused large numbers of individuals to adopt life goals which, while
socially highly desirable, in fact work against the implementation of their
more authentic life plans. The outcome of this uncritical adoption of what
seems as a thrilling and satisfying structure of life goals, while at the
same time betraying one’s deeper life plan, or life strategy, is failure to
achieve a high quality of life, or ‘the good life’.
Keywords: philosophical practice, philotherapy, life plans, life goals, psychotherapy, the good life, high quality of life
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