With his philosophical practice, Lorenz Homolka wants to accompany people in different ways to shape their lives more profoundly. In the “Salon for Beautiful Thinking,” for example, you can devote your group to various philosophical topics “with all your senses.” MyDistrict spoke to the 38-year-old from Linz about how philosophy can make your life more beautiful.
LINZ. “Philosophy can help us break out of our inertia and make our lives more lively,” Lorenz Homolka is convinced. After studying psychology, he ended up in the art world – from 2014 to 2020 he ran the Sturm & Drang Gallery in Linz’s old town – today he co-curates the FMR Festival in Linz, among other things. Since the Corona pandemic, the 38-year-old from Linz has devoted himself to philosophy and, in addition to his studies in Vienna, completed a course to become an academic philosophical practitioner with Konrad Paul Lissmann. “Philosophy is the way to give life meaning, to consciously take it into your own hands and to make it more profound,” says Homolka. As a philosophical practitioner, he wants to support people in different ways – in individual conversations but also in groups.
Life is not a problem that needs to be solved
However, Homolka does not see himself as a classic coach: “Life is not a problem that needs to be solved, but a reality that needs to be experienced. It is not as shallow as it is sold to us.” According to Homolka, philosophy is a good way to do this. In the “Salon for Beautiful Thinking” Homolka welcomes smaller groups of up to twelve people in order to – as he says – “dedicate themselves with all their senses” to a specific philosophical topic. In addition to theory, relevant works from the visual arts, literature and music are also experienced together. “We can learn just as much about love from a poem as we can from psychology,” says Homolka, explaining his approach.
“Every evening is an experience”
“These group evenings usually take place in my salon in Linz’s old town. But I’m also invited by groups of friends or companies,” reports Homolka. The content and process are individually tailored to each evening. “It’s an encounter, an experience – not a product,” emphasizes Homolka. He developed the concept for this – “philosophical dramaturgy” – for his thesis with the Austrian philosopher Konrad Paul Liessmann. “This led to wonderful conversations, because he is a luminary in the field of aesthetics and understands my enthusiasm for this project very well,” says Homolka. With his guests he wants to achieve the “aesthetic state” that Friedrich Schiller describes in his letters about the aesthetic education of people. “This state is an ideal harmony in which man achieves a free, creative existence through the union of sensuality and reason,” said the philosopher.
“Philosophical dramaturgy” in schools
Homolka will present his “Philosophical Dramaturgy” at the International Society for Philosophical Practice (IGPP) in Vienna in December. “I’m really looking forward to the expert response,” says Homolka. In addition, together with his colleague Max Koller, he also wants to bring it to schools – “Beautiful thinking” should be learned early.
No previous philosophical knowledge necessary
No previous philosophical knowledge is necessary to take part in the “Salon for Beautiful Thinking”. “My practice is aimed at people who want to find more meaning and depth in their lives or simply feel the desire to use their own mind,” emphasizes Homolka. For those interested, there is a newsletter with dates and events: zeitundgeist.at
