Bio
Dr. Jonathan Y. Lee, MD, PhD (@ jonlee112) is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Depression Clinic of Stanford University where he founded the "Am I Good? Examining life through the lenses of Philosophical Skepticism, Moral Philosophy, and Existentialism" philosophical psychotherapy group.
Jonathan's research focuses on the causes and consequences of, as well as solutions to, rising skepticism and distrust in sources of expert information (e.g., science, health). He has a special interest in exploring skepticism and persuasion at the intersection of health and politics, which includes studying phenomena such as the politicization of science and health, political polarization, filter bubbles/echo chambers, the emerging post-truth world, and information warfare. It also includes seeking heteorgeneity in the findings across particular demographics at high socioeconomic and health risk. He draws on theories and methods from his uniquely interdisciplinary set of educational, research, and professional experiences, including those from experimental and behavioral economics, political science, psychology, philosophy, and machine learning. He is currently using machine learning-based text analytics to explore how trust/distrust in sources of expert information is discussed on traditional and social media -- followed by the use of online randomized controlled survey experiments to test the causal effects of particular persuasion strategies on perceptions of trust/distrust, as well as other important behavioral outcomes of interest.
Jonathan uses a clinical approach that consists of the use of both psychopharmacological and individual/group psychotherapeutic interventions to address depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Referred to by some as philosophical psychiatry, philosophical therapy, philosophical counseling, or philosophical psychology, Jonathan's approach to psychotherapy begins with the building of one's worldview / lens from a first principles perspective by asking the fundamental questions posed by philosophers and scientists spanning philosophical / intellectual traditions across time, including:
existentialism / existential philosophy
philosophical empiricism
philosophical skepticism, absurdism, pessimism, nihilism
logical empiricism / logical positivism
moral / ethical philosophy, skepticism, relativism
rational skepticism / scientific skepticism
political liberalism
Questions include 'how do we know what we know?', 'what is the meaning of life?', 'what is the purpose of life?', 'does God exist?', 'what matters?', 'what is value?', 'what is good?', 'do we have moral obligations?', 'what are our moral obligations?', 'do we have rights?', 'what are rights?', 'do we have free will?', etc.
Jonathan's approach draws heavily from the philosophical works of Epicurus, Baruch Spinoza, David Hume, Friedrich Nietzsche, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Arthur Schopenhauer, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, John Rawles, etc.
