What is Rewilding Philosophy
Explaining what I mean by rewilding philosophy feels like explaining a joke; once I put words to it, it loses its true essence. So whatever I describe below, bear in mind that it is also so much more. And it is also whatever you want it to be.
The need I saw to rewild philosophy is the result of an in-depth exploration of the potential for transformations toward a regenerative future and a sentiment that seems to be shared by many.
Finding solutions to the metacrisis - a combination of individual, social, and ecological challenges - is a wild task. Conventional solutions grounded in technology or policies prove insufficient. Even if we were to miraculously halt climate change, other challenges like species extinction, burgeoning inequality, and escalating mental health issues would persist. Common solutions mostly overlook the profound philosophical underpinnings of these issues. As Bayo Akomolafe says
"The way we address the crisis is the crisis."
Philosophy offers a lens through which we can reevaluate our approach to this crisis. It addresses not just the symptoms but the roots of our predicaments and unearthes the wisdom needed to navigate the complexities of our existence.
Philosophy isn't a luxury but a necessity that calls for introspection, challenging the very fabric of our beliefs and questioning the essence of our existence. Despite that, it often takes a back seat to the practicalities of daily life, and there seems to be a prevailing disinterest in philosophy among most. When I engage in discussions about philosophy, the majority question its relevance. However, from my perspective, philosophy is the most captivating, interesting, and promising subject for addressing the metacrisis. I believe we need a philosophical renaissance - to rewild philosophy - to transcend the superficial, and to tap into its potential for regenerative futures.
So, what do I mean when I talk about rewilding philosophy?
Un-niching Philosophy
Rewilding philosophy means breaking free from the confined spaces or niches to which philosophy has often been relegated. Philosophy is not meant to reside solely in academic circles or within the pages of dense, esoteric texts. It should be accessible and applicable to a broader audience, reaching beyond traditional boundaries. By un-niching philosophy, we invite people from various backgrounds to engage in meaningful philosophical discussions.
From Theory to Practice
Rewilding philosophy emphasizes the transition from abstract theories to practical application. Philosophical ideas are also not confined to intellectual discussions; they can be actively employed to navigate real-world challenges and to live a good life. From theory to practice means that individuals incorporate philosophical principles - that they choose to live by - into their daily lives, whether making ethical decisions, shaping policies, or addressing environmental concerns. While philosophy is often associated with "thinking or knowing," - practical philosophy involves a tripartite of knowing, being, and acting.
From Old or Dead Men to a Diversity of Voices
To rewild philosophy means moving away from the historical dominance of a select group of philosophers, predominantly old or dead men, to embrace a diversity of voices that reflect the richness of human and nonhuman experiences. Though it might be challenging, we can experiment with the integration of nonhuman voices. By doing so, we ensure that the philosophical landscape becomes more inclusive, relevant, and capable of addressing the multifaceted challenges of the present and future.
Rewilding
Choosing the term "rewilding" serves as a metaphor for reconnecting philosophy with the untamed, uncontrollable, wild aspects of the world. While the mechanistic paradigm suggests that we can control the world, "rewilding" acknowledges the complexities of our ecosystems - of which we are part and which include technology and our culture. Rewilding philosophy draws attention to the need for a philosophy that is not overly controlled or domesticated and prompts us to consider the inherent value of the uncertain and ambiguous, encouraging a philosophy that is always also subject to change.
Applying Ecophilic Philosophy
With different philosophical assumptions - such as understanding the world as interrelated instead of separate, or as primarily mind instead of matter - arises a whole new world - it has implications on how we do business, politics, what sort of infrastructures we build, what our technology looks like. A working title of a philosophy I am exploring is "ecophilic philosophy" (inspired by E.O. Wilson's biophilia hypotheses expanded by non-living things), and one of the tasks that I think needs to be done is to rethink the existing world through the lens of ecophilia. For example, how might we rethink the concept of "sustainable lifestyles," or what might be the implications for science (which heavily relies on objectivity and measurements) through an ecophilic philosophy?
The outcome of rewilding philosophy is a world full of philosopher queens :)
I'd be curious - if anything - what "rewilding philosophy" means to you?
🐒 Something fascinating about other beings
I could watch this all day. It makes me question everything about the nature of the universe, what intelligence is and what’s biologically possible.
📚Things I enjoyed reading, watching or listening
📝 Article: Some good research about why individual action matters - especially for leaders by Steve Westlake
📝 Article: Can Content Creation be Sustainable? by Anmol Irfan
📝 Article: Human ‘behavioural crisis’ at root of climate breakdown, say scientists by
Right on, Jessica - I feel like your psychological twin! This resonates in particular with my thinking on psychologism; i.e., the split of psychology from philosophy to follow the medical model, and the need to mend that split. My ideas on 'panpsychology' could very much be re-cast as "rewilding psychology" as I feel that even ecopsychology has become siloed and stuck in the ideas of old white men (both living and dead). Climate psychology, which I helped catalyze with the idea of Climate Trauma, is a step in the right direction. But like you, I feel the urgency to make philosophy and psychology mainstream and more culturally vital in order to urgently address the pathology of the system we are captured by and to resolve the biospheric trauma we, the embodied, are all feeling at this critical time in species development. Thank you for making philosophy cool!