Philosophical activism
Many of us feel the need to take concrete steps to ensure a better place for our children to live. However, if we do not consider the deeper reasons behind our problems, activism can become a Sisyphean task – action without real change.
Kenyan Wangari Maathai, winner of the Nobel Prize for her contribution to sustainable development and peace, spoke about humanitarian actions that completely missed their purpose. As an example, she mentioned the problem of disease-carrying mosquitos. This problem is quite effectively solved by mosquito nets, but they eventually deteriorate, and humanitarian organizations repeatedly come to the rescue.
She offered a better solution: to teach people to seek solutions on their own and thereby become less dependent on external aid. That is, to teach them how to fish instead of offering them fish.
Thought or reflection without action changes nothing. However, action without thought is equally dangerous and futile; in the eyes of the observer, it may seem like a solution. but it will not bring about any long-term change. It is necessary to search for the roots of our problems, and these roots are usually not in the visible, physical domain, but within the individual.
For example, tooth decay is a physical problem. But if we search deeper, we will see that it is a result of poor diet and consumption of sweets. If we search even deeper, we can find emotional reasons for the imbalanced consumption of sweets. If we search at even deeper levels, we can find mental patterns that lead to this imbalance. Of course, we would like to first address the tooth decay because it causes us pain, but if we don’t treat the roots of the problem, eventually we will have to remove the root of the tooth.
In the same way, many of our problems are symptoms of our cultural patterns of thinking, the way we perceive nature, the world, and ourselves.
We must prevent environmental pollution, but first we must eradicate the way of thinking that has disconnected us from nature.
We must fight against war, but how can we redirect warring nations when we cannot How to solve even minor conflicts with our friends, family, or neighbors?
We talk about economic inequality, but are we innocent in the mindset that puts material gains above virtues, success above brotherhood?
That’s why the first step in understanding our problems is understanding the human being. Real social change always starts with individual change. The great philosopher and leader Mahatma Gandhi said that Indians are a greater enemy to him than the English because it is more important to educate Indians to believe in their right to freedom and independence than to fight against the English.
He also said that he himself is his own greatest enemy because a person needs to be the change they want to see in the world. This is actually the biggest and deepest challenge for every true idealist and philosopher. We need to revise the idea of activism. It is necessary to connect activism with philosophy.
We need to seek the roots of reality and gradually change our perception and behavior accordingly. It is necessary to connect action and contemplation. Shedding light on philosophical activism.