‘Action Philosophy’: Philosophical Inquiry, Professional Development and Organizational Change

Paper Details

Authors: Oliverio S.

DOI: 10.19245/25.05.pij.11.01.3

Journal: PuntOorg International Journal

Year: 2026

Publisher: Editoriale Scientifica srl

Document Type: Article

Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access

Cited by: 0

Abstract

In the present paper, I will explore whether and in what sense philosophical inquiry can be deployed in organizations as a pedagogical vehicle to promote reflective professionalism and a learning-oriented approach to organizational practices. This investigation will unfold in two steps: first, it will be argued that the contemporary “practical turn” in philosophy has enabled us to rediscover its intimate relationship with education and, thereby, has turned it into a possible pivot for the reconstruction of organizational practices; and, secondly, rather than reading “philosophy in organizations” from the perspective of philosophical counselling I will propose a pedagogical hypothesis that dovetails – under the aegis of the thought of John Dewey – Donald Schön and Chris Argyris's theory of action with Matthew Lipman and Ann Sharp's approach of the community of philosophical inquiry. I will maintain that the latter may represent a major resource to promote a transformation of the meaning perspectives of organizations and of practitioners therein working along the lines indicated by Schön and Argyris. © 2026, Editoriale Scientifica srl. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Community of Philosophical Inquiry; Complex Thinking; Donald Schön; Learning Organization; Matthew Lipman; Reflective practitioner; Theory of Action

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