How Philosophy Relates Us to the Whole
Hello and welcome, dear readers. Last week, I talked a lot about parts and wholes and the importance of perceiving how one’s part relates to the whole. This week, I want to talk about how I think philosophy and specifically ekoPhilosophical health relates to the whole.
My overall intention with philosophy is to bring me into right relation to the whole - to guide me into how to live a good enough life and become a good enough citizen in the face of the meta-crisis.
I can only do that if I am in right relation: to myself, others, non-humans, technology, spirits, ideas, thoughts, food, exercise etc. I have written extensively about why the meta-crisis is ultimately a crisis in relationships. For German-speaking readers, I recommend this book.
As mentioned last week, Hegel said in the Phenomenology of Spirit: philosophy is the discipline that cares about the whole of reality. To me, this is exactly why I am so drawn to it: it helps me come into better relationship with the whole and with that to find my place.
To define how philosophy facilitates this relation with the whole, we can distinguish three modes of philosophy-ing. Together, these modes constitute a "practical ekoPhilosophy."
Having a Philosophy
This refers to possessing a set of beliefs, values, principles, or philosophical commitments that guide one's thinking, actions, and worldview. Having a philosophy entails adopting a coherent framework of ideas that inform one's understanding of reality, ethics, knowledge, and existence. For example, someone might "have" a philosophy of existentialism, stoicism, or utilitarianism, among others.
Outside of academic discussions, when people talk about philosophy, they're usually referring to this aspect of practical philosophy. I often receive questions about the distinction between philosophy and a worldview. Having a worldview essentially means having a philosophy.
Trying to find a philosophy can consume big parts of our lives. We can avidly consume information and experiences, constantly seeking to shape and refine our philosophy. It is also something that can deepen our understanding of social and ecological challenges and how we relate to these challenges (for example through learning about relational philosophies. For example, it can help us understand on a conceptual level how our individual actions relate to systems change.
Practicing Philosophy
Practicing philosophy encompasses both theoretical and practical engagement with philosophical ideas and methods. It involves activities such as critical thinking, questioning assumptions, engaging in dialogue, and exploring fundamental questions about existence, morality, knowledge, and meaning. Philosophical practice can take various forms, including reading philosophical texts, engaging in Socratic dialogue, writing essays or reflections, and participating in philosophical communities or discussions. Practicing philosophy is something we do at the PhilosophyGym.
Philosophy, as a practice, can train us to diffract, reflect and inquire our relations to the whole as well as to its individual parts (which are wholes in themselves). It can also help us find a philosophy. Often, the philosophies we adhere to are unconscious, shaped by our upbringing and life experiences without our explicit consent. While information may prompt us to reassess our beliefs, some remain hidden until we actively practice philosophy. We can read all about the maladies of the mechanistic paradigm that dominates our western, industrialised world, without ever truly understanding how it applies to us: how it shows up in our language, in our definition for success, in how we relate to the more-than-human world, in our decision making processes … By practicing philosophy, we develop awareness of how the dynamics of parts and wholes manifest in our lives on a personal level.
Practicing philosophy also includes finding ways to get in right relation to other philosophical perspectives, a huge challenge in our times of polarisation.
Living Philosophically
Living philosophically goes beyond merely possessing abstract philosophical beliefs; it involves embodying and applying philosophical principles in one's everyday life. This concept, often associated with Pierre Hadot's notion of "philosophy as a way of life," emphasizes the practical application of philosophical wisdom to cultivate virtues, foster self-awareness, and navigate everyday life. Living philosophically integrates philosophy-ing into one's ways of knowing, being and acting within all relationships.
Living philosophically, or philosophy as a way of life, allows us to transform our existence into an art form, where we consciously co-create reality with other parts and the whole.
It’s philosophical living that I strive for. This is where I actually practice being in relation: be it to my work, to neighbours, the pigeons living on the rooftop, the trash scattered on the street, politics, climate change deniers, or my lover. While these relations are not the whole, they also are - as I explained last week, the nature of reality is fractal. In simple words, this means that how I relate to one thing reflects how I relate to everything. It means that certain patterns or structures exhibit self-similarity across different scales. Living philosophically means that by practicing my relation to the part, I also already practice my relation to the whole.
Why ekoPhilosophical Health
The health of the individual is not in the individual, but in the relations of the individual to the systems. When a plant welts, we don’t ask what’s wrong with the plant, we ask if we gave it enough water, or too much, if it gets enough sunlight, if it needs fertilisers. We see it in their relation. However, when it comes to our own mental health, we often fixate on what's internally wrong with us.
In therapy, apart from a few exceptions1, the emphasis tends to be on altering our relationship with ourselves. While this is undoubtedly important, achieving health isn't solely about changing the relationship to ourself. It also involves reshaping our relationships with others, the more-than-human world, and also, as many argue, to the spiritual, animistic, life-force, to life itself, to the whole. Philosophical Health, in addition to psychological health, has the potential to do just that.
Becoming ekoPhilosophically healthy means establishing right relations with oneself, others, and the whole. Practical philosophy is the pathway to get us there—by finding a philosophy, practicing philosophy, and living philosophically.
Approaches like Gestalt Therapy and family systems constellations include interpersonal relationships. And while therapy can also enhance relationships by teaching emotion regulation, communication skills, and conflict resolution, it often overlooks creating the context for relations with the non-human, spiritual, or global aspects of existence.
Beautifully said, dear Jessica!