Adam Dietz, PhDPHILOSOPHICAL PRACTICE

PRIVATE PHILOSOPHICAL CONVERSATIONS

The art of
living well.

A personal philosopher to help you uncover and cultivate your own innate wisdom.

In conversation with Adam Dietz, PhD.

Begin a conversation

One-to-one Online

TEACHING · WINTER 2027Stanford Continuing Studies

DOCTORAL STUDY · CIISPhilosophy and Religion

AUTHOROriginal Confucianism

BEYOND SUCCESS

What makes
a life well lived?

You may have achieved much of what you set out to do. Questions remain about what those achievements are for and what you want them to make possible.

We explore these questions through the particulars of your life: a choice about work, a responsibility to someone you love, or a commitment you are reconsidering.

QUESTIONS WE MIGHT BRING

  • What is all this effort
    in service of?

  • What do I owe the people
    who depend on me?

  • When should I act,
    and when should I wait?

Your own question is a good place to begin.

THE CONVERSATIONS

A philosopher
who comes to
know you.

I offer private conversations that can become an ongoing philosophical relationship. There is time to revisit a question and to learn from what happens between our meetings.

You need no background in philosophy. Your experience and curiosity give us somewhere to begin.

  1. Begin with your life

    We might start with a difficult choice at work or a question about what you owe someone. I listen closely, ask questions, and bring relevant philosophy into the conversation.

  2. Cultivate your own wisdom

    You already have a capacity for care and good judgment. We examine where you exercise it, what gets in the way, and how you can strengthen it through practice.

  3. Continue the conversation

    As I come to know you, we can follow questions across changes in your life. We may return to a decision after you have lived with it, or read something that helps us see it differently.

YOUR CONVERSATION PARTNER

Adam Dietz, PhD

Philosophy as
a lived practice.

I came to philosophy through teachers whose influence continued long after their courses ended.

I’m a philosopher and writer based in Sonoma County, California. I’m also an incoming instructor with Stanford Continuing Studies, where I will teach The Art of Living Well: Philosophy from East to West in winter 2027. I previously taught philosophy at Sonoma State University.

I hold a doctorate in Philosophy and Religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies. My book, Original Confucianism: An Introduction to the Superior Person, grew out of my study with Yi Wu.

My interpretation of original Confucianism, especially Mencius, is the foundation of this practice. I understand wisdom as a capacity we can cultivate throughout life, through the care and judgment we bring to our relationships. My teaching and writing also draw on Socrates, Daoism, Buddhism, and Emerson.

This philosophical practice is independent of Stanford University and its Continuing Studies program.

SELECTED PUBLISHED WRITING

EXPLORE

The Way Between

My essays and conversations about philosophy, including the traditions and teachers that have shaped my work.

Visit The Way Between on Substack (opens in a new tab)

PRACTICAL DETAILS

Working together

How do we begin?

Email me a little about yourself and what you would like to explore. We’ll arrange an initial conversation online and discuss whether we would like to continue.

Can this become an ongoing relationship?

Yes. Getting to know someone over time is central to this practice. If we continue, we agree on a rhythm of conversations that suits us both. You can bring a new question or return to one we have already begun.

How is the practice supported?

I may offer initial conversations as a gift. Introductions to people who might value the practice are also welcome as gifts, with no obligation to make one.

Over time, generous support from people with greater means can sustain the practice and help make it accessible to others. We discuss any financial arrangement personally and agree on terms before any paid commitment.

What can I expect from you?

Careful listening, candid questions, and a willingness to learn alongside you. I may suggest a reading or a question to return to between conversations. You are welcome to disagree with me. Our work is philosophical inquiry and education; it does not provide psychotherapy or mental health treatment.

AN INVITATION

What brings you here?

A few lines about yourself and what you would like to explore are enough to begin.

Begin a conversation