Philosophy

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). ...

We live in a world that fetishises the image, status and prestige over reality. We’ve created a second world, the ‘spectacle’ as Guy Debord called it. A world we feed with our praise of the image. And unconsciously, we are compelled to live up to its ideals. As a consequence, we’ve not only kept this world an idea, but we’ve started to live in it. We start to associate people and interact with them through a collection of these images. We discover this through introspection. Think of someone you know, what comes to mind about them? Their job, appearance, and maybe subconsciously their status? Is this truly what the person is? ...

We spend hours fighting over headlines, arguing about scandals and so-called “pressing social issues”. It feels urgent — but most of it changes nothing. Meanwhile, the most important question is rarely asked: “How do we build a country where people are safe and can truly prosper?” Plato wasn’t wasting his days gossiping about Athens. He asked: What is justice? What is the good society? Who should rule? That’s why we still read him more than 2,000 years later — while today’s news will be forgotten next year (if not next week). ...