Modern Athenian: The Necessity of Philosophy

The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David

Philosophy is needed in any age, and it appears in any age. However, levels of general philosophical activity can differ between ages. For example, compare the modern day to Athens in Socrates’s time. There is a perceptible decline in philosophical activity within citizens. For example, when you ask someone in the streets, name all philosophers that you know, they will perhaps give you, Socrates, Aristophanes, Descartes, Nietzsche, but no recent names. Perhaps after the Industrial Revolution and the spread of capitalism, citizens have become too busy to stay afloat in the fast-moving society, hence losing the time and energy to think. Perhaps science is gathering momentum, leaving humanities behind (logical, technological solutions are easier to understand, persuade, implement, and profit from — theories are much harder). However, in such times philosophy is needed all the more.

Our world has globalized; society, politics, science, daily lives, everything has become intertwined between fields and between places. It has become complex. Hence, moral questions have new dimensions today, a lot of which are only partially explored. We as an era need to take time to reevaluate what freedom means, what justice is, what happiness requires, and what is good and evil, moral and immoral. We need to ask ourselves questions and doubt the quietly permeated norms. And it can’t be just the famous philosophers. Every citizen must be aware of the ways of to think, feel, and express themselves, so that the new and diverse values of the modern society can be shared and transcend. It is also important to note that each one of us has our own unique philosophy, nurtured through background values and experiences, and that they are all valuable and worth consideration.

Additionally, what is unique to the modern world is that there is AI, there is social media. These, when used without thinking, leaves people devoid of their own thoughts. Our personal philosophy become buried, temporarily, or be replaced by other people’s. They can come resurface by thinking and talking with other people.

There is a problem, though. Philosophy seems to be a distant thing, partly a ghost, that is difficult to understand, and only the elites will pursuit — philosophy is not for us. This can be made entirely false. Philosophy is thought, it is about humans. It is about us and our lives. As Montaigne said, philosophy and knowledge is not something that is difficult to read or understand; in fact, its better to be easily comprehendible, and there’s nothing less intelligent about that (rather quite the opposite: a piece of writing that smoothly conveys its meaning is intelligently written).

To navigate this modern, unstable world, we must think. We must allow our own thoughts, emotions, and values to rise into our awareness, and then into our speech and actions. Philosophy is a dire, hidden need in our society today.

Author’s note: this all came tumbling upon me while I was showering an hour before. Shower thoughts are truly the best.