Chief Philosophy Officer

Chief Philosophy Officer With Solarpunk Vibes

As mentioned in my previous entry, I have been asked to be a Philosopher-in-Residence at a humane tech company called Daylight, which is releasing the world's first blue-light-free computer. The role has the potential to evolve into a Chief Philosophy Officer (CPO) position, offering the opportunity to shape something unprecedented. To my knowledge, no CPO role currently exists.

Before delving into the niche online solopreneur philosophy game, I worked on a campus-wide project at a university to redesign job descriptions. Writing job descriptions was surprisingly fun, and one commonly recommended career development exercise was writing your dream job description. Since I am currently in a position to do this, I will sketch one out here.

I see the CPO as an extension of what I am already doing in my philosophy practice: holding space that engenders an ontology open to the whole, then inquiring about what is existentially salient. These inquiries cannot be instrumentalized toward the profit motive or its objectives. While such objectives will surely be salient, serving as a starting point for philosophical inquiry, they must always maintain sight of what is intrinsically most important: wisdom.

My present view of wisdom is akin to "existential wayfinding," finding one's way and finding the way repeatedly. In essence, those who philosophize serve as guides for life. Therapists use inquiry to help others heal, coaches use inquiry to help others succeed, and consultants use inquiry to help others solve problems. A philosophical inquiry can touch upon all of these as epiphenomena, but the core is to point the way forward with greater clarity.

The difference between philosophical inquiry and other forms of inquiry lies in the necessity of “aporia”—a state of deep unknowingness where even the professed reason for the inquiry is doubted. In my practice, my interlocutor and I often start by thinking we are inquiring about one thing, only to find that it leads to something unexpected. True philosophical inquiry frequently results in surprise.

This view of philosophy might differ from the stereotypical notion of the philosopher, the supposed "lover of wisdom" who engages in abstract theorizing about things like metaphysics, epistemics, and ethics. While no real philosophy can occur by avoiding theorizing about these foundational issues, those who insist on staying there are charlatans, as I wrote in the entry “All Philosophers Are Charlatans.”

Considering this notion of the philosopher, it is understandable why no CPO role currently exists. Philosophical charlatans are useless; they are not only ineffectual in the “real world,” but they are also downright harmful to things getting done. However, the role of a CPO would not be about indulging in theoretical masturbation; instead, it would be focused on our survival.

One business mantra of merit is derived from Only the Paranoid Survive, a book by Intel CEO Andy Grove. In the competitive business world, constant vigilance is needed to adapt to threats and changes in the market, including the many technological changes ahead of us. While paranoia may aid a company's survival, being constantly paranoid is not healthy. Moreover, there are more important things to preserve than just a company's survival.

While I have not read the book, the title of Jonas Salk's The Survival of the Wisest is the mantra I believe will reign supreme in the coming years. My understanding of those oriented toward wisdom is that they can hold more complexity in their bodies, meaning they can grasp multiple narratives of what is and what ought to be while fully experiencing the emotional realities that emerge from believing in such narratives. And they can hold this without capitulating to any one narrative due to fear or any other unexamined emotions that are unpleasant to stay with.

Without the capacity to hold such complexity, wisdom cannot be present, and guidance cannot occur. Now more than ever, given the increasingly complex landscape due to accelerating technological changes and the resulting endemic uncertainty, the approach to philosophy described above is needed.

For the prospective job description of a CPO, I see at least three primary duties:

• Untying x-knots 

• Being propositionally coherent

• Stewarding collective wisdom

Untying x-knots 

Existential knots, or x-knots, are situations characterized by a general bothersomeness where the issue and solution are unclear. Examples might include confusion over an upcoming decision, a relational challenge, or a general sense of stuckness. X-knots often serve as the starting point for philosophical inquiries. Founders and CEOs face a multitude of x-knots, encompassing both professional and personal domains.

The role of the CPO is to provide support for navigating these knots in both domains. These aspects are intertwined, and untying a knot in one domain may unexpectedly bring clarity in the other. Real philosophy requires real intimacy, and the CPO will serve as a priestly function to those leading the company, ensuring it is guided less foolishly.

Being propositionally coherent 

Many documents, including values, vision, mission, goals, and strategy, supposedly guide a company. These documents influence other internal and external documents, like onboarding and marketing material. Yet, such documents often are muddled, not written with any philosophical sophistication, but with business jargon, ill-defined words, and fallacious premises. There is no existential weight behind them, no philosophical punch, only empty words that feel good to read.

To make matters more challenging, such documents are written by different people trained in different disciplines and are rarely updated. The role of the CPO is to ensure theoretical consistency in such documents, making sure they are alive and enlivening. Words matter, and when a company becomes philosophically sloppy with the words that guide it, it loses its way.

Stewarding collective wisdom

The Stoics famously declared that no sage exists, including gurus and galaxy brains' wisdom signaling their way toward the pretence of sagacity. The Stoics are right. The Buddhistics are also right when they say, “The next Buddha is the sangha.” We can repurpose this phrase with the sage in mind: “The next sage is the stoa.” Those in complexity and sensemaking circles herald collective intelligence, or collective wisdom, as humanity's saving grace. The argument is that no single person, however smart or wise, can solve our collective problems alone. We need to harness the piece of the puzzle each person holds harmoniously.

There is a difference between unconscious groupthink and conscious “we spaces,” where collective wisdom breathes amongst bodies in service to the whole. For the latter to emerge, there needs to be someone or something to steward the process. Within companies, this will be the CPO, who is the steward of collective wisdom.

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The CEO, fundamentally a directive position, needs to act as the king or queen, getting things done within the challenging conditions of a competitive marketplace. The CPO, fundamentally a receptive position, needs to serve as the priest or priestess, staying connected to the source within an ontology that teases out wisdom from the collective.

Eight years ago, when I was writing job descriptions for others, I would have doubted the existence of such a role if someone had suggested it. However, given the increasing weirdness of the world, this role is beginning to make sense. I am betting on wisdom and believe that those in power who also place this bet will play a significant role in shaping the future.

Three things…

• The “Living Question” session will take place via Zoom this Thursday at 12 PM Eastern Time. To attend, become a member of Less Foolish and find the RSVP line on the other side of the paywall. Read more about the session here.

• The “Midwifing a Wisdom Commons” session will be held in Toronto at Alterity Cafe at 7:30 PM Eastern Time on April Fool’s Day. You can purchase your ticket here and learn more about the Wisdom Commons here.

• Have a philosophical “coaching” inquiry with me about what is most existentially salient. You can learn more about my practice here and schedule a session here.