![The Healing of Philosophy The Healing of Philosophy](https://cdn.magzter.com/1413643543/1711792490/articles/pQI3Rz8dq1716986474435/THE-HEALING-OF-PHILOSOPHY.jpg)
Philosophy is in decline. You hear it all the time. The evidence is regularly trotted out: less graduates, no jobs, no prospects, a lack of interest from the culture, etc. It has become a tedious verity.
But how can that be? Do we collectively not love wisdom anymore? In our modern world, have we cast off the mantle of being Homo sapiens (‘wise person’)? Have we somehow come to be above it all? Are we no longer enamored of our collective role amongst all creatures on the planet of being reasonable? That can’t be right. Knowledge and good choices – these things are timeless, inescapable. So what’s happened to us? What’s happened to our collective minds to permit philosophy’s decline?
Philosophy must be sick. To be sure, there’s an illness afoot, a broad mental affliction that’s spread amongst humanity – an intellectual pandemic: an illness of mind, of culture, of society. This is the only thing that can explain our collective disinterest in wisdom, the decline of our love for the essence of who we are.
We need a doctor. The Greek father of medicine Galen comes to mind. Galen famously said, ‘The best doctor is also a philosopher.’ Perhaps medicine can help. But medicine is sick too. Physicians are killing themselves at an alarming rate. Burnout in medicine is pervasive, and expanding, and has risen to be more prominent in medicine than in any other profession. Doctors are suffering and dying. The healers themselves are ill and in need of healing. Perhaps the pandemic of mind has also afflicted them?
I’m a doctor. I burned out. I became mentally afflicted and I was in decline. It wasn’t pretty. I’ve tried to recover. Thankfully, I was saved. I was saved by philosophy.
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Denne historien er fra April / May 2024-utgaven av Philosophy Now.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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![FALLING DOWN FALLING DOWN](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/7923/1978150/ecGjnGCrY1738322275745/FALLING-DOWN.jpg)
FALLING DOWN
Thomas R. Morgan considers how personal identity is maintained, and how it is lost.
![Pythagoras (570-495 BCE) Pythagoras (570-495 BCE)](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/7923/1978150/iF7lmqFpQ1738321811392/PYTHAGORAS-570495-BCE.jpg)
Pythagoras (570-495 BCE)
Daniel Toré looks beyond the mathematician to the philosopher.
![Wordsworth & Darwin Wordsworth & Darwin](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/7923/1978150/3oceOcpgo1738319405000/WORDSWORTH-DARWIN.jpg)
Wordsworth & Darwin
Christine Avery wonders whether poetry can help us to deal with science.
![Plants & Philosophy Plants & Philosophy](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/7923/1978150/4D1nQWwkn1738319208440/PLANTS-PHILOSOPHY.jpg)
Plants & Philosophy
Caroline Deforche sees similarities between gardening and philosophising.
![Dr.Gindi sculptor, has a philosophical conversation with Richard Baron about sensation, life, infinity and, you guessed it, sculpture. Dr.Gindi sculptor, has a philosophical conversation with Richard Baron about sensation, life, infinity and, you guessed it, sculpture.](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/7923/1978150/sQ6dZEyAV1738319628290/DRGINDI-SCULPTOR-HAS-A-PHILOSOPHICAL-CONVERSATION-WITH-RICHARD-BARON-ABOUT-SENSATION-LIFE-INFINITY-AND-YOU-GUESSED-IT-SCULPTURE.jpg)
Dr.Gindi sculptor, has a philosophical conversation with Richard Baron about sensation, life, infinity and, you guessed it, sculpture.
Dr. Gindi is one of Switzerland's foremost sculptors, whose work has been exhibited in many countries.
![Thomas Aquinas on Extraterrestrial Life Thomas Aquinas on Extraterrestrial Life](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/7923/1978150/5RlYYq4pF1738318839153/THOMAS-AQUINAS-ON-EXTRATERRESTRIAL-LIFE.jpg)
Thomas Aquinas on Extraterrestrial Life
Babatunde Onabajo tells us why Aquinas did not believe in aliens.
![The Fire This Time The Fire This Time](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/7923/1978150/_FpeAHsrs1738310226710/THE-FIRE-THIS-TIME.jpg)
The Fire This Time
Tim Madigan on Ray Bradbury, Bertrand Russell and Fahrenheit 451.
![Trust, Truth & Political Conversations Trust, Truth & Political Conversations](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/7923/1978150/-9dcGUVIS1738307179518/TRUST-TRUTH-POLITICAL-CONVERSATIONS.jpg)
Trust, Truth & Political Conversations
Adrian Brockless wants a recognition of human value in political debate.
![Philosophy & The Crown Philosophy & The Crown](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/7923/1978150/qVn82Kbas1738308563945/PHILOSOPHY-THE-CROWN.jpg)
Philosophy & The Crown
Vincent Di Norcia on monarchy and stability.
![Technologists & Ethicists Technologists & Ethicists](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/7923/1978150/mrOMEWtCs1738308905909/TECHNOLOGISTS-ETHICISTS.jpg)
Technologists & Ethicists
Stephen L. Anderson laments inadequate moral insight among tech leaders.