Unpacking "To Philosophize is to learn how to die"

Particularly noting the date that the article by Simon Critchley was published (April 11, 2020), this blog will primarily focus on the relevance of the following questions as it pertains to modern applications, such as the most recent quarantine and its effects on individuals in the population at large.

How does Critchley characterize anxiety? What makes it different from fear?

Anxiety is a facet of a much larger, many-sided issue that individuals faced during the quarantine. Mundane routines of mediocrity in the midst of a pandemic drive people to insanity. Anxiety, thus, is a direct byproduct of unwelcomed change with no tangible object.Yet, fear is differ; rather, it has a direct correlation to an unwelcomed ending. As such, many people fear death, because they can pinpoint exactly their fear, but that people are not anxious of death unless they have a legitimate reason. While some individuals may become anxious of change and uncertainty, as he outlines, "We know we’re in it for the long haul. But we don’t know what that might mean," (Critchley) that does not necessarily mean they are fearful. To combat anxiety, he argues that you do not need numbness, medication, or to neglect it, but instead to face it head on, acknowledged, and to then liberate oneself from its grasp. One cannot pinpoint anxiety as they may be able to do so with fear, which makes fighting it immensely more difficult. 

As the days went by over the last couple of months, my personal experience followed much of what he described to a tee. The initial allure of something brand new quickly was overshadowed by the dark reality of the pandemic. I, like everyone else, was forced to isolate with not only my own safety in mind, but others as well. I was anxious, unsure, and lonely, and there was no end in sight. Not until now did I truly recognize that these were universal feelings, and perhaps as a collective study body, we can work to become liberated.

What does Critchley argue is the role of philosophy? How does this apply to the pandemic?

As outlined in the previous question, a vast portion of individuals have a looming sense of anxiety, and in a way, fear, due to the quarantine. It was a giant mystery, with little information about its severity, how it spread, its varying degrees, and more until more recently. It is invisible to the naked eye, some people are asymptomatic, others are not, some handle it much better than others. At its peak, nobody knew what to do. Nobody wanted to admit that they were anxious and scared because others had it worse. Yet, as Critchley points out, philosophy is to learn how to die, to break the chains of an enslaved and anxious mind.

As it relates to the pandemic, isolation may have actually been the fundamental ticket towards understanding and connecting with philosophy. People rarely understood philosophers, calling it “practical uselessness, its 3,000- year track record of failing to solve humankind’s most profound problems.” However, many great philosophers spent large amounts of time in isolation, and if one learns how to philosophize through the abundant amounts of free time during the pandemic, then that may just be the single beam of light amidst the darkness.

Do you agree with Critchley? Why or why not?

I absolutely agree with Critchley. Philosophy is not given enough credit, as its true value lies within individuals who are willing to embrace it. It’s a remedy to people’s anxieties and fears, and I believe that philosophy is what binds anxiety and fear together. To philosophize is to lose your fear of the end, and the newfound open-mindedness with enable you to take on the unknown, whether that is anxiety or the uncertainty of the pandemic. I firmly believe that philosophy will lead to a happier population of individuals.