Critchley's View on Philosophy in a Pandemic
After reading Critchley's article, it shows one how philosophy is connected to the world all around us. A pandemic is something so rare that it is hard to process exactly what is occuring around the world. Many have felt strange feelings such as being on edge, unsure, and extremely stressed. But, once these feelings are analyzed down to basic philosophy, it is clear to see why these feelings exist in the midst of COVID-19. Critchley characterizes anxiety as a state in which the particular facts of the world recede from view. Everything feels uncanny and strange. On the contrary, fear is our instinctual reaction to an actual threat in the world. This fear comes from real things in the world that are an immediate threat to us. So, in simple terms, anxiety is a state based on deep rooted, made-up scenarios that cause one to become on edge and stressed, whereas fear is based on a real object. In his article, Critchley defends his claim that the role of philosophy is