We are ALL in this TOGETHER
Philosophical Learning from COVID
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INTERDEPENDENCE
The Covid pandemic has brought into sharp focus one important philosophical learning. Many of those questions that have arisen during this time, all gets answered.
One of the most fundamental inquiries during the Covid pandemic is about our obligations to other people. The pandemic has also highlighted our risky interconnectedness, as the virus has spread around the globe with lightning speed.
On the one hand, some reason that we have a duty to protect ourselves and our families from harm and that this should take precedence over other considerations. On the other hand, some argue that we have a responsibility to help others, even if it comes at some cost to ourselves.
This debate is not new and has been at the heart of philosophical thinking for centuries.
For example, the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued that we have a natural duty to help others, even if they are strangers because we are all members of the same human community.
Rousseau’s ideas were later taken up by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, who argued that we have a moral obligation to help others, just as if they are not our friends or family.
It is interesting to explore the COVID pandemic through Indian philosophy’s lens. One of the critical concepts in Indian Philosophy is vasudhaiva kutumbakam, which means “the world is one family”.
This concept emphasizes the interconnectedness of all human beings and the duty we have to care for one another as members of a larger community.
In the face of COVID, this philosophy has taken on a new meaning. As the deadly disease spread around the world, we have seen how our relationship with fellow humans is not just a matter of personal choice but also public health.
COVID has shown us how our actions can profoundly impact the health and well-being of others. It has also shown us how our duty to care for our fellow human beings transcends national boundaries. In the face of COVID, vasudhaiva kutumbakam is more relevant than ever.
COVID had a profound influence on the way we percieve our relationships with the broader world. In China, where the virus originated, the Confucian principle of “ren” or “humaneness” dictates that individuals have a duty to care for others and act in the community’s best interests.
The philosophy of togetherness and interdependence is based on the belief that humans are essentially good and all in this together.
The Chinese philosopher Mencius argued that we have a duty to care for others because it is part of our human nature. In many ways, COVID has forced us to confront our mortality and reassess what is truly important in life.
It remains to be found how this global crisis will change our relationship with the wider world, but one thing is certain: we are all in this together.
The Covid pandemic has also led to a renewed interest in what constitutes a good life. Many people have been driven to re-evaluate their priorities, and some have concluded that they want to be alive with a more meaningful and fulfilling life. Others have argued that pursuing pleasure is the only thing that matters.
This debate is also not new and has been at the heart of ethical philosophy for centuries. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, for example, argued that the good life is one in which we expand our talents and abilities to the fullest extent possible.
Aristotle’s ideas were later taken up by the Stoic philosophers, who argued that the good life is one in which we maintain our composure in the face of adversity.
As countries have closed their borders and people have been forced into quarantine, surviving alone with grief became the reality. COVID has put this belief to the test and humanity failed in some aspects while overcame with many inspirational deeds.
Covid has been a wake-up call for many people. It has forced us to confront our existence’s fragility and human life’s frailty.
Questions about fundamental values and priorities have been raised. And it has made us reflect on the kind of world we want to live, together.
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