Plato Not Prozac, Therapy for the Sane, The Middle Way and The Power of Dao
Lou Marinoff is a Canadian-born academic, author, and Commonwealth Scholar.[4] He is Professor of Philosophy and Asian Studies at The City College of New York[5] and founding President of the American Philosophical Practitioners Association.[6] He is known for his books, including Plato Not Prozac, Therapy for the Sane, The Middle Way and The Power of Dao, which focus on applying philosophical concepts to address everyday challenges.[7]
Biography
He was born on October 18, 1951 in Quebec.[8] Marinoff studied theoretical physics at Concordia University and McGill University before earning a doctorate in philosophy of science at University College London.[6] The title of his thesis, published in 1992, was Strategic interaction in the Prisoner's Dilemma: A game-theoretic dimension of conflict research.[9] He then went to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for post-doctoral work[10] followed by a lectureship at the University of British Columbia.[6]
Career
In 1994, he joined The City College of New York where he currently serves as Professor of Philosophy, and of Asian Studies.[6] He was also President and Executive Director of the former American Society for Philosophy Counseling and Psychotherapy, rebranded as the National Philosophical Counseling Association.[11] With Ran Lahav, he co-founded the International Conference on Philosophical Practice (ICPP) in 1994.[12][13][6] He also co-founded the American Philosophical Practitioners Association in 1998, and is the editor of its journal, Philosophical Practice.[12]
Marinoff has also collaborated with institutes and forums such as the Aspen Institute, Biovision, Festival of Thinkers, Horasis, the Institute for Local Government at the University of Arizona, Soka Gakkai International, Strategic Foresight Group, and the World Economic Forum.[6]
Work
He is known for advocating for philosophy as an alternative to traditional psychological and psychiatric therapies. Marinoff's approach centers on the belief that many issues arise not from emotional or chemical imbalances, but from philosophical uncertainties.[12] He established the American Philosophical Practitioners Association (A.P.P.A.) to legitimize and certify practitioners in the field.[14]
He believes that many modern problems, such as stress, confusion, and moral dilemmas, can be addressed through philosophical reflection rather than medical or psychiatric interventions.[15]
Table Hockey
Marinoff is a three -time Canadian Open Table Hockey champion (1978, 79, 80) and US Open Champion (2015).[6]
Films
2023: The Fantastic Factory of Sanity, directed by Lucas Araújo, produced by Brasil Paralelo.[16]
2010: Changing Our Minds, Living Life Films, San Diego. Directed by David Sousa.
2006: Way of the Puck, Creative Ape Productions, Los Angeles. Directed by Eric Anderson.
2004: Table Hockey: The Movie, Triad Films, Nova Scotia. Produced by Peter d'Entrement, directed by Thor Henrikson.
