Practice - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Practice: a word often mistaken as merely the act of repetition, but which, in its essence, is a profound engagement with transformation, an alchemical process where potential meets the crucible of the real. Is it simply doing, or is it something far more...elusive?
The roots of practice can be traced back to antiquity, interwoven into the very fabric of early philosophical thought. In the writing of Aristotle, we see the concept of praxis, a mode of action intertwined with knowledge and ethical judgement. The concept of praxis appears throughout his Nicomachean Ethics (circa 350 BCE), a text whose moral reasoning and concern for action continue to shape normative ethics. Later, the Stoics, with their emphasis on virtue ethics, made practice a central tenet of their teaching, urging followers to cultivate internal resilience through consistent self-discipline. Was practice simply an exercise, or was it a method of realizing our best potential, a critical facet of virtue epistemology ?
Over the centuries, the interpretation of practice has evolved, shaped by diverse cultural and intellectual currents. The medieval monastic traditions embraced repetitive prayer and manual labor as conduits for spiritual growth, while Renaissance artists honed their skills through relentless study and imitation. The Enlightenment, with its focus on rational thinking and empiricism, shifted the emphasis towards systematic and evidence-based practice. Consider the apprenticeship model of education: From medicine to craftmanship, it was the bedrock of skill acquisition blending theory and hands-on experience. Does perfection in practice simply hone actions, or does it transform the acting agent in profound ways? The tension between determinism and agency is a central theme in philosophical anthropology in ethics.
Today, practice continues to hold a central position in various fields, from athletic training to artistic expression and even ethics, as evidenced in the hypothetical imperative of Kantian ethics. Its mystique endures not only in its ability to produce tangible results but in its capacity to unlock hidden potentials. In a world obsessed with instant gratification, the deliberate and sustained effort of practice stands as a quiet rebellion, a testament to the enduring power of human potential and a challenge to the ephemeral nature of the now. What principles may we derive from studying practice that would help guide the complexities of ethics in AI and ethical obligations in business?