Philosophers as Advisors
Why Philosophy Is Finding Its Way Back into Business
There was a time when philosophy was considered essential preparation for leadership. Questions about judgment, character, meaning, and the good life were not viewed as abstract luxuries. They were practical concerns for anyone responsible for guiding people and making consequential decisions.
Somewhere along the way, business education became increasingly dominated by technical expertise. We learned how to optimize, measure, forecast, and analyze. Those are important skills. But they do not answer every question that leaders face.
Many of today’s organizational challenges are not technical problems at all. They are questions of judgment.
How do you build trust within a company? How do you cultivate a healthy culture? What kind of workplace should you create? When should efficiency give way to craftsmanship? What makes a product meaningful rather than merely useful? How do you navigate competing values when there is no obvious right answer?
At their core, these are philosophical questions.
That does not mean leaders need to spend their afternoons reading Plato or Kant, although I would certainly encourage it. It means that philosophy offers habits of thinking that are increasingly valuable in environments where certainty is scarce, information is abundant, and decisions involve competing goods rather than simple calculations.
For much of the twentieth century, philosophy and business occupied largely separate worlds. Today, however, that boundary is beginning to shift. Philosophers are working with executives, advising organizations, facilitating dialogue, helping teams clarify values, and examining the assumptions that shape decision-making long before a strategy is ever implemented.
This growing movement is reflected in the recently published volume Philosophical Approaches to Consulting. The book brings together philosophers from around the world who use philosophical methods in organizational settings. Rather than arguing abstractly that philosophy has practical value, the contributors present concrete case studies showing what philosophical consulting actually looks like.
My own chapter explores aesthetics as an often-overlooked dimension of organizational life. Businesses tend to think about aesthetics in terms of branding or visual design. Yet aesthetics concerns something even broader: perception itself. It shapes how people experience products, workplaces, relationships, and even decision-making. The aesthetic conditions of an organization shape attention, judgment, motivation, and behavior long before anyone consciously notices them.
In other words, the environments we create are not neutral. They quietly shape the people who inhabit them.
This insight has become central to my work through the Aesthetics Research Lab. Whether discussing products, physical spaces, leadership, or organizational culture, I have become increasingly convinced that many business problems cannot be fully understood without considering their aesthetic dimensions. Leaders often focus on policies, incentives, and strategy while overlooking the experiential conditions that determine whether those efforts succeed or fail.
The encouraging news is that interest in philosophical practice appears to be growing. The publication of Philosophical Approaches to Consulting reflects a broader curiosity about what philosophy can contribute to organizational life. Entrepreneurs, consultants, managers, and philosophers are increasingly exploring how philosophical methods can illuminate the challenges organizations face. Many are not looking for ready-made answers. They are looking for better ways of asking questions.
That growing interest has led to an exciting next step. On September 17, the contributors to the volume will gather online for a conference hosted by the Institut für Wirtschaftsgestaltung—evidence that the conversation has only just begun. Each contributor will present the case study from their chapter, followed by a live discussion and Q&A. It promises to be an excellent opportunity to explore the many ways philosophy is already being applied within organizations and to connect with others exploring this emerging field.
For those of us working at the intersection of philosophy and business, this feels like an important moment.
Organizations are facing increasing complexity. Artificial intelligence is changing the nature of work. Employees are asking deeper questions about purpose and meaning. Leaders must navigate competing values, not merely optimize existing systems. These challenges require more than technical competence. They require wisdom, judgment, and reflection.
Those have always been philosophy’s strengths.
Perhaps philosophy is not entering business for the first time. Perhaps it is simply returning to where it has always belonged.
*Conference Information
If you’re interested in attending, you can find the conference program here and registration information here.
If any of this resonates, I work in two complementary ways. Through the Aesthetics Research Lab, I advise organizations and leaders on how aesthetic thinking can sharpen strategy, strengthen culture, and improve the conditions in which people do their best work. And as a certified philosophical counselor, I work one-on-one with individuals—including leaders, founders, and professionals—navigating questions of purpose, direction, and how to lead well.
If you’re curious about what either of those looks like in practice, I’d welcome the conversation.
michaelrspicher@gmail.com | michaelrspicher.com