Ania
M. B. Rowan
Boulder, Colorado
Tel. 1-303-786-8068
ambr@frii.com
Education
B.A. Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology,
Philosophy,
University of Colorado, 1989
M.A. Philosophy,
University of Colorado, 1998
Thesis Title: “Martin Heidegger’s Being and
Time: an Analysis of How Dasein Becomes Authentic.”
I became fascinated with philosophy while pursuing my
undergraduate degree in biology. After receiving my M.A.
in philosophy, I taught Introduction to Philosophy and
Ethics at Front Range Community College and continued
my studies on an individual basis and through taking graduate
courses at the University of Colorado. I am currently
working on a manuscript about Kant’s and Aquinas’
notions of will and reason and their implications for
the notion of moral action. I also volunteered for the
Boulder County Mental Health Center. In 2001, I was certified
as a philosophical counselor by the “American Philosophical
Practitioners Association” [APPA].
My main areas of interest are Ethics and Philosophical
Anthropology - that is, Philosophy of the Human Being.
It is an area of philosophy that is devoted entirely to
the study of a human being, or more precisely to the study
of the being of human being. Its two principal questions
are: What is a human being and what does it mean to be
human?
In so far as we share many aspects of our nature with
the animal world we must also ask ourselves to what extent
we are different from animals, that is, what is it that
makes us unique beings in this world? Language, culture,
values, ethics, and religion are perfect examples of our
uniquely human experience. To be human means to be able
to ask questions about our being, our actions, and our
choices in life, and this capacity to reflect about our
own being is what differentiates us from other animals.
This unique power of self-reflection carries with it
responsibilities. We are the only beings in this world
who are capable of asking such questions as: How should
I live? What is important to me? What do I want in my
life? How do my actions affect others? Thus, this unique
fact of our self-awareness and self-reflection leads us
to existential questions about our values, choices and
moral behavior.
This deep questioning of our being, our lives, our choices,
and of our actions tends to be especially intense during
times of crisis which can be precipitated by difficulties
in relationships with others, dissatisfaction in professional
life, or serious illness. These problems cause sadness,
unhappiness, and often physical or emotional pain. At
the same time, any crisis or dissatisfaction presents
us with a wonderful opportunity to become acquainted with
ourselves and to become the true and wise friends to ourselves
(and others).
This is what philosophy has done for me, and I strongly
believe it can do so for each one of us. Philosophy enables
us to understand ourselves better by helping us examine
the many assumptions upon which we build our lives, and
which sometimes lead us to more pain than is necessary,
Philosophy provides us with a great framework that encourages
us to analyse calmly our beliefs, hopes, and fears. This
requires delving deeply into one’s being, but this
leap is done with tremendous help from some of the greatest
thinkers of humanity. It is a call to all those who are
frustrated, discouraged and unhappy, but also curious
and courageous enough to plunge into the deep mystery
of simply being human.
I hope that all of you who choose philosophical counseling
to help you solve your dilemmas will benefit from it as
much as I have in my studies of philosophy, And I wish
that none of you will be deterred or intimidated by philosophy.
Philosophy is a uniquely human quest to understand what
it means to be human in all its implications. And it is
a distinctively human journey to explore our humanity
in all its failures and all its glory.
The primary role of a philosophical counselor is to assist
a client in his or her journey of self-discovery, which
may be difficult and challenging at times. A philosophical
counselor uses his knowledge to help illuminate the client’s
questions by placing them in a greater philosophical context.
This allows the client to view her/his problem from a
proper perspective so that s/he can look at it with a
fresh attitude, analyze it more calmly, and see it more
objectively.
This process is inevitably a path of self-discovery in
the sense that the more we try to understand our questions,
the more we understand ourselves, and our assumptions,
prejudices, fears and hopes. This in turn, enables us
to see beyond our predicament. Understanding alone may
not be sufficient, but it is necessary in order to transcend
the present difficulty and create a better situation.
