A Missouri S&T faculty member has published a new book that focuses on society and people’s feelings of insecurity and precariousness.

Precarity, Trauma, Addiction, and Love in Philosophical Counseling, by Dr. Ross Channing Reed, a lecturer in philosophy at Missouri S&T, was released today (Thursday, Jan. 8) by Bloomsbury Publishing.

Reed’s book examines how the language around trauma, anxiety and burnout is pervasive in current society.

“Many of our society’s issues — anxieties, depression, various phobias — are the result of material conditions that exist by design and could be remediated through taking rights seriously, which would include access to a good education, health care, housing, safety, a living wage, equity and more,” says Reed.

“After 30 years of experience as a philosophical counselor, I’ve listened as people struggle to articulate their suffering, much of it related to systemic conditions over which they have no control,” says Reed. “Still, they are often encouraged by society to blame themselves and internalize a sense of guilt and shame, leading to hopelessness and a loss of meaning.”

The book also combines unexpected topics like ultramarathoning, Stockholm Syndrome and potential global annihilation in its chapters.

“I’m a trained jazz trombone player, played for years and years, but when I stand up on stage, I never know exactly what I am going to play,” says Reed. “There’s a deeper level of understanding that goes beyond conscious awareness. So writing and combining these topics was an organic process for me, as I started writing but didn’t know where I would end up, but I’ve been thinking about these issues for decades and it has coalesced into this book.” 

Reed says his book argues that the expectations and living conditions of society are uniquely destabilizing and can lead to exhaustion, physical and emotional trauma, and even addiction.

“Even the use of psychotropics and other medications will not solve many of these issues,” says Reed. “And many can’t be solved through talking either, but require societal changes. Addiction is my main research focus and the book touches on how people are trying to meet their needs and become whole through various obsessions, compulsions, and addictions.”

Reed’s book calls on individuals to explore their beliefs, values and goals in life to dismantle what he calls the “techno-precarious performance society” — a society rooted in systemic uncertainty and nihilism.

“I promote philosophy as something everyone can do. Not pop-philosophy that is a bunch of nice quotes from historical figures, but really thinking through topics,” says Reed. “That is why I got into philosophical counseling to begin with — helping people is predicated in part on the belief that you can actually help them. So I always have hope, I’ve seen the results in people’s lives.”

Reed earned a Ph.D. in philosophy with specialization in existentialism and phenomenology from Loyola University Chicago in 1994. His research areas include existentialism, ethics, philosophical psychology, philosophy of religion and addiction. He has been a private practice philosophical counselor since 1998.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.