Rustic: A Philosophical Meaning
In having already published a couple of articles in this section, it seemed important to describe what this genre, in Philosophorum, hopes to offer.
Philosophorum, the main site (http://www.philosophorum.com), has three article sections: Philosophy: Humanitas, Philosophy: Rustica, and Philosophy: Mystica (forthcoming), each of which is or will be found on Medium.
This section, Philosophy: Rustica, explores and celebrates all things rustic, as part of a philosophical discourse on what constitutes the “good life” in living it. It embodies the simple goodness of food, philosophy, and lifestyle that is as conscious as it is thoughtful, always aware of impact, environment, utility, and communion with others.
While this may seem invariably “hipster,” to some, my intention with it is different; it actually goes back much further — to old-fashioned philosophy, from Aristotle and Cicero on— not just in Western tradition, but from history, philosophy, and ideas of grit and consciousness about life that transcend geography.
To me, the the notion of something being “rustic” carries an almost palpable history — many souls have passed by, have observed, have engaged, and have left an impression. It is salt of the earth, full of strength, but has been exposed to the elements enough to feel the passage of time. The new and the old co-exist, but with the same sensibility of both rugged beauty and utility, understanding that cycles continue, learning never ceasing and being perpetual, but with renewal always a part of that timeless dynamic.
To me, rustic is more than an adjective; it is a philosophy of being. It is the basic, fundamental, but always imbued with a profound consciousness. That consciousness is what gives a sense, too, of striking and substantive beauty, like looking at one of the paintings of the old Masters, seeing the combination of light and darkness, the expert strokes of the brush, but the sense that with every viewing, one finds yet another layer than that which is first observed. The longer one looks, the more depth one sees.
Especially now, seeing how humanity is interacting with the physical world around us, returning to some sense of consciousness about our world and our interaction with it seems deeply important. Along with the other two sections of articles, this one seeks to ask fundamental questions about this interaction, with the hope that certain ideas also resonate among others. To live a good life, we must always be conscious of our role, both for ourselves, and among others around us, contributing what we can to the whole. For as we all know, as alone as we may feel in moments, none of us is alone in this journey. How we live it matters. And it can be as whole and as nurturing as we allow it to be, for both ourselves and others.
I hope you will continue to follow the discourse here, and Philosophorum in general, with each of the three sections. And please know, ideas are always welcome as to what to cover, or important questions that might be asked. Feel free to be in touch with me via the contact function at http://www.philosophorum.com.
K.J. Wetherholt is the Publisher/Executive Editor of MIPJ, Humanitas Media Publishing, and Humanitas: The Necessity of Modern Humanism. She currently also writes about war and humanity, having published a book about war correspondents on the Western Front during WWI, The Illumination: A Novel of the Great War. Her next book, Compendium: Vol. 1, articles from 2009–2017, will be published later this year.
