Profésus

Profésus is a fictional professional designation used in speculative fiction and certain tabletop role-playing game materials to describe a practitioner who integrates philosophical inquiry with practical advocacy and persuasive communication.

The term is a neologism without an established real-world etymology. In most settings it functions as a hybrid role, blending elements of philosophy, ethics, rhetoric, and public policy.

Typical duties include conducting ethical analysis of public discourse, mentoring others in argumentation and critical thinking, drafting policy recommendations, and mediating disputes where social norms or governance are at stake.

Training commonly depicted for a profésus includes study in philosophy, ethics, rhetoric, or law, plus practical skills in negotiation, facilitation, and consensus-building.

Depictions vary by setting; some emphasize theoretical rigor and reflective practice, while others portray pragmatic persuasion and conflict resolution in morally ambiguous environments.

As a fictional concept, profésus is used to explore how expertise and ethical responsibility can be exercised in public life and to examine tensions between ideal theory and real-world persuasion. Related concepts include philosophers, rhetoricians, mediators, ethicists, and public intellectuals.