The "rediscovery" of the meaning of life in the time of the pandemic

Abstract

The time of the pandemic is characterized by multiple painful experiences: illness, death, the limitation of personal freedoms, the fear of contagion, widespread impoverishment. It is difficult to talk about the "positive" aspects of an emergency that is not over yet, but during its course it is possible to grasp from those same experiences that characterize it a new opportunity to reflect on aspects of human existence that the consumerist mentality previously placed in the background.

The restrictions imposed by the health emergency have led to a collapse in investments and consumption which, if it has complicated the economic situation of many countries, makes it possible to "discover" the possibility that life can pass peacefully even without all the comforts and possibilities previously available. With this new awareness it is possible to reflect on the "philosophical" question of the meaning of life and on what is really "essential" for a possible happiness despite the contingencies of the time we live in.