I’m Dani de Wolf

The problem Since the rise of modern self-help culture, fiction is often looked down upon. It’s frequently seen as a waste of time, as lacking practical value, or as something purely meant for entertainment. I personally believe that this is wrong, and that fiction is highly beneficial. Furthermore, I suspect that it would be profoundly detrimental to the human species if the importance of great fiction were forgotten. That’s why I want to make a case for the value of fiction and explore how it actually benefits us. ...

One of the major questions in the field of philosophy is: “What moves people?”. One would think that there should be a clear answer, since we are the subject of the question. This doesn’t seem to be the case. Many philosophers have attempted to give a full, complete answer. Some have said that we are driven by the pursuit of fulfilment and the good (e.g., Aristotle). This argument is often supported by the Christian theologians, like Aquinas and Augustine, who argue that this fulfillment is ultimately found in the pursuit of God. Others argue we are ruled by emotion, fear, and pleasure (e.g., Hobbes). Some claim that beneath everything lies a blind will or drive for power (e.g., Nietzsche). And others insist that what truly moves us is a need for meaning, or responsibility (e.g. Kierkegaard, Viktor Frankl). ...

Almost everyone with the slightest interest in philosophy has heard of famous Stoics like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, but what is Stoicism really? The Stoics wanted to lay out what it means to live according to nature, expanding and clarifying in their own terms what Heraclitus, Socrates, and the Cynics had already begun. Their question was simple: “How do we live a virtuous, good life?” Heraclitus gave them the metaphysical foundation: the cosmos has an order, it’s rational and alive. Socrates provided the example of living according to one’s philosophical wisdom. From the Cynics, they took the idea that virtue is the only true good, and that freedom comes from within, which the Stoics softened with reason, duty, and social responsibility. ...