Philosophy Now
In the fifth century a public official named Boethius wrote a small text called “The Consolation of Philosophy.” He had been an important member of the administration team of Emperor Theodoric but had fallen prey to jealous courtiers who accused him of treason. The paranoid emperor believed them and had Boethius stripped of his titles, rank, wealth, and thrown into jail. Later he was executed. In his text he asks the perennial question: why do bad things happen to good people?
Of course in his case, the bad happening was caused by humans. In our contemporary world we are facing an enemy without cognition, feeling, awareness: the Covid-19 virus. But we can easily resonate with his cry of despair and anguish as we lose our jobs, are confined in our homes, watch love ones die, and simply witness the increasing expansion of the pandemic. Why us? Why now? Why ever?
Some turn to religion. During these high holy days for Jews and Christians perhaps that is a solace. Then again, some churches in middle American are encouraging their congregations to attend services. Why? I guess they assume the virus is partial to the east coast/west coast of the country and would not dare enter the “heartland.” Surprise! A virus is about as apolitical as you can get and is an equal opportunity advocate. But many world-wide are observing their sacred holiday at a distance. Regardless, there is plenty in the Judeo-Christian bible that speaks to plagues, good people suffering, and that somehow it all makes sense. If that works for you, all the better.
It did not for Boethius. He turned to philosophy, personified interestingly enough by a woman who visits him in his prison cell and engages him in thinking about his life, its meaning, and what it is to be a person in a nonpersonal world. Now many would see philosophy as the very last source of — well, frankly — anything in today’s technological society. Zoom will save us! Or maybe seriously — medicine. Well, I am a huge fan of science and truly hope the greatest minds of the world will solve this challenge sooner rather than later.
But maybe there is something in philosophy that we are in desperate need of right now. And let me say that I am hardly the first to make this argument. A cursory search of Medium will offer a number of thoughtful essays on this topic. But let me add to those voices.
Philosophy is at its best when it trains its enquiring eye on the world around us and demands that we think through what we are doing, why we are doing it, what we ought to do, and simply — what matters. It can be compatible with religious beliefs but does not need them to help.
If we think ethically, we can ask ourselves:
Should I be buying more than I need and ignoring the needs of others who may not be able to bulk purchase?
Why should we social distance if we feel fine and we do not want to? Do strangers matter in my life?
What do I owe my community in terms of supporting those in need and those in health care — both workers and patients.
How can I help myself from falling into depression and isolation?
What does compassion and love look like when we are at a distance?
What is an ethical response to fear?
If we think epistemologically we can reflect:
How are experts better equipped with knowledge than non-experts and why should we listen to them?
Does lack of certainty mean all opinions are truly equal?
What is the best way to deal with doubt and does the current situation simply reveal the nature of human experience as uncertain?
Social philosophy offers more opportunities to examine how we live:
Can one really live a human life without others?
Can a nation stand apart from the rest of the world or is that both an illusion and perhaps profoundly unethical?
What is the role of government and social programs in times of great need?
Has social distancing oddly brought us more together? In what ways are you connecting more to others than in your normal busy lives?
Aesthetics challenges us to find beauty amid chaos:
Why can art help us overcome our feelings of isolation and being stranded?
Do we need art to describe what we cannot put easily into words?
How will the arts survive these difficult times and what do these times reveal about the role of art in our lives?
In many ways how we respond to this challenge, both individually and collectively, will reveal our moral character. We tend to think of ourselves as good, decent people. This impersonal and destructive virus is pulling back the curtain on ourselves in ways we might find life-affirming or perhaps not so much. But the act of self-reflection can redeem us; we can change from fear mongering hoarders out for ourselves to individuals who work collectively — at that distance — for the greater good, and remember, we are likewise recipients of that greater good.
Philosophy can remind us that the really important aspects of life are not necessarily answered by the STEM fields, our GNP, or our political affiliations. Philosophy invites us, maybe even demands of us, that we be human, in the best sense, and turn our gaze both inward and outward to question, seek, act in the world in ways which define who we are and who we want to be.
In the end of Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy he is still in prison, still unjustly convicted, and yet — he has recognized that he must choose himself. He can only control his own actions and must hold himself accountable for them. Neither others, not even God, can be held to blame for how he conducts his own life. Despite being in prison, he is free. Lady Philosophy leads him on this journey of self-discovery and his book offers each one of us the exact same path to travel.
But you need not track down Boethius to reflect philosophically. The beauty of Philosophy is that she has been with you all along. You just need to ask a question and reflect on how best to answer it. Through the dense wood of uncertainty, we can hope for meaning, even if we must make it ourselves. But let’s search for meaning that illuminates and leads us forward.
