Four Philosophies to Inspire You
Ideas to Find Purpose in Troubled Times
“Hell is empty, and all the devils are here” shouted Ferdinand as he jumped into the sea from his rocking ship in Shakespeare’s Tempest.
It’s hard not to think the same as the 24-hour news cycle plays out. But there’s no sea to dive into, no safe island to swim to. Our minds channel surf from horror to horror.
Burning forests, orange skies, another deadly explosion in the middle east, migrants packed into rafts, sinking economies, masses unemployed. Nations mired in riots, fires, shootings and lies.
The tempest of 2020 has swept us up and landed us, bewildered, on our heads. We look to leaders for a clue, but they’re just as bewildered as we are.
As much as it feels unintuitive to do so, it’s perhaps now more urgent than ever to embrace stillness and reflect. Philosophers have endured thousands of years of turmoil and have handed us the inspiration to find purpose.
Below are four philosophers who lived through chaotic times. Their ideas stand like mountains: resilient, timeless, immense and awe-inspiring.
Their words, which I selected to summarise their core philosophies, I hope will inspire us all to find inspiration, meaning and purpose at a time when grief feels like…
