Exploring the Practice of Philosophy

2026/04/01

I am dedicated to studying philosophy as a practice, defining it as a discipline that reconsiders society’s assumptions from the ground up. In my view, its role is to critically examine the accumulation of historical precedents and propose new ways of thinking. In this sense, it is extremely important for philosophy to revisit the texts of great thinkers of the past. I myself continue to specialize in research on the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. At the same time, I think that being preoccupied only with textual study does not constitute the true practice of philosophy. When I speak with other philosophers in the field, I often encounter the view that philosophy is important precisely for its lack of utility (at least immediate). This perspective serves as an important admonition against simply following contemporary social values and losing critical distance. However, I believe that unless philosophy is accompanied by practical efforts to address society's structural problems, it risks abandoning its true role. So, even if my views are seen as naïve and not well-regarded among fellow researchers, I have continued my attempts to pursue the practice of philosophy as a form of ethics.

So, what have I actually been able to “practice”? Since 2022, I have launched a project called “Gift Economy 2.0,” building on my previous research. This initiative aims to create an economic system in which people can live within a cycle of values distinct from money. Money is a convenient tool, and the structure of modern society is inseparable from the spread of the capitalist economy. Simply put, our lives today are built on the capitalist economy. However, there are also structural flaws. The system is premised on the idea that each person narrows their focus to maintaining their own life as an individual. I believe this has caused various serious problems that go beyond its usefulness. Climate change is one such problem, in my view. To address these problems, I am proposing a system in which the economy is driven by human relationships, separate from capitalism, and have started demonstration experiments for its social implementation. In fact, many different people are coming together to participate in this gift-based economy, so if you’re interested, please stop by!