In a capitalistic society every human experience is susceptible of becoming a business, eg. the business of beauty, sex, art, justice, health, education, journalism, emotions and psychology, transcendence and religion and the notion of "truth", even prisons and war are a business in some countries.
Philosophy is no exception to this. I wonder if they are studies and books who talk about this specific market share target:
The consumer of philosophy. What kind of person spends money on philosophy these days? What's their psychological profile? Perhaps somebody not very social but intelligent? Perhaps kids who were bullied at school because they were too bright or they just didn't fit with the others because they were just not good at sports? Is it a need to sound brighter than the rest or perhaps it's about these existential crisis every now and then most people have that make them look for meaning in life? How about somebody who needs someone else who is more intelligent than they are who would tell them what they want to hear or would do most of their thinking for themselves?
If this is the case then these professional philosophers have an image, a reputation, an ego to maintain? They would go to debates trying to look intelligent and determined to "win them" by kicking some "smart ass" using arguments not because they think they are true but because they would make them win more followers and ultimately more money. Perhaps they would consider the Socratic method economically inefficient for good profits because who needs truth when you can have money? After all who needs truth when you can have the old "razzle dazzle".
Are there any authors who actually realize this and empathize more on truth than in the philosophers themselves?
"Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion." Dylan Thomas