The Therapy of Desire in Times of Crisis: Lessons Learned from Buddhism and Stoicism

Abstract

Desire is an important philosophical topic that deeply impacts everyday life. Philosophical practice is an emerging trend that uses philosophical theories and methods as a guide to living a eudaimonic life. In this paper, we define desire philosophically and compare different theories of desire in specific Eastern and Western traditions. Based on the Lacanian conceptual–terminological triad of “Need-Demand-Desire”, the research of desire is further divided into three dimensions, namely, the subject of desire, the object of desire, and the desire itself. The concept of desire is then analyzed from this triad and these three dimensions through different philosophical theories. This paper selects Buddhism as the representative of Eastern tradition, and Stoicism as the representative of the West, paying special attention to Stoicism’s “spiritual exercises” following Pierre Hadot. By exploring and comparing the Buddhist paths to liberation from suffering (i.e., the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path) and the two theoretical pillars in Stoicism (i.e., the notions of “living according to nature” and “the dichotomy of control”), practical guidance is then provided for understanding and regulating desire in times of crisis. This understanding and regulation of desire constitutes a philosophical therapy for today’s troubles, particularly those caused by excessive or irrational desires.

Chinese Philosophical Practice toward Self-Cultivation: Integrating Confucian Wisdom into Philosophical Counseling

“…Philosophy, as we have established, extends beyond theoretical exposition to enriching life's meaning, anchoring curiosity and the quest for knowledge in a stable and serene mindset, akin to the Stoic pursuit of living in harmony with nature (Ding et al 2023;Sellars 2013). This search for philosophical truth is grounded in the concept that "ren" is intertwined with the Dao (Shusterman 2002).…”

“…Despite China's economic strides and material prosperity, many Chinese experience severe spiritual anxiety (Malone and Wachholtz 2018;Niu et al 2022;Zhen and Zhou 2020), increasing the appeal of philosophical practice to the public and researchers alike (Ding 2016;Pan 2017). Efforts to integrate traditional Chinese philosophy-Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist principles-with philosophical practice are underway, yet the self-cultivation of philosophical practitioners themselves remains underexplored (Ding et al , 2023Huang 2019;Hsu 2004;Lee 2017;Su 2011;Zhao 2019).…”