Philosophy as Artistic Practice: On Institutionalizing Creative Thinking between Science and Art

Abstract

This paper proposes a model for institutionalizing creative thinking at the intersection of philosophy, science, and art. It begins from the paradox that freedom resists institutional capture and, following Rahner, argues that such tensions cannot be resolved theoretically but must be lived in practice. The concept of an “Atelier of the Mind” is introduced—a philosophically grounded space where non-conceptual insight, artistic methods, and scientific inquiry co-produce knowledge. Drawing on traditions from Plato and Hadot to contemporary accounts of epistemically transformative experience, the paper formulates design criteria such as contemporaneity, meta-awareness, reflection on form, and performativity. Insights from a pilot workshop and German institutional comparanda demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. The paper concludes with a concrete proposal for a “Philosophical Academy for Science and Art”—a non-university hub designed to sustain long-term encounters between artistic and scientific practices of knowing.