Philosophy and Health - The Covid-19 Pandemic - By Marisen Mwale

#The Metaphysics Controversy And Covid –19 – Some Parallels

By Marisen Mwale

In Metaphysical terms this Covid-19 crisis alights in my mind the #Idealist (Platonic) and #Realist (Aristotelian) metaphysics major controversy about the nature of reality. That is whether reality is a product of the mind, consciousness, and perception; in other words an #immaterial mental construction existing transcendentally as a form / idea or whether reality exists independent of human cognition or consciousness; in other words is #material (as in #matter), is not illusory, and does not depend on a human mind to construct it. The crux of the #Platonic vs #Aristotelian debate revolves around the observation that a world could exist without a human mind or humans and could have existed prior to human evolution. Deductively humans could actually one day go #extinct but a world would still be existent independent of human cognition, socio-mental construction or presence.

The Covid-19 pandemic has alighted that #Philosophic contemplation in me and the fact that we are not #infallible as beings but rather vulnerable to nature and natural laws. #Knowledge is vital, more so being an #evolutionary basic survival instinct and above all #scientific knowledge for the instrumental value accorded our existence in this universe. We never should be complacent against the forces of #nature and the Covid-19 pandemic is a wake up call against any form of complacency.

The global crisis has taught me in particular that as a species, there is more need in humanity for solidarity and consented effort in #academia, #research or otherwise. Global coexistence in the fight against some of the forces of nature and specifically #pandemics in our unified existence with some unity of purpose is pertinent. Lessons drawn from the Covid-19 catastrophe demand that, there be need to bring together and share our experiences and #transferable ideas as one world, as one human species otherwise we might one day be predisposed to #perish ….and perish indeed we may as a whole group, as one people- as humanity, without #exemption if we were to be complacent!

Marisen ‘Maestro’ Mwale