Really good article. The kind you look for these days.

I'm just an biologist, do I wouldn't give my opinion much credit, but I was wondering how so many things in our society got out of balance. I concluded that, so to speak, it is because of, surprisingly, science. It is really more than science, it is all the changes that have been happening since before the enlightenment, but the term "science" best represents those many great changes in beliefs.

Science is great for creating wealth and power, but not understanding or critical thinking. That is the role of philosophy, which we are generally taught is an archaic, obsolete body of knowledge. It is what teaches the logic and reason of critical thinking that can discern truth from falsehood in this age of disinformation. It teaches values and right from wrong, something science simply cannot do. We need to teach philosophy like we teach reading and writing, as it used to be taught. It is what our civilization and society was built upon and it is still needed. Even science needs it, but we have allowed STEM to crowd out every other subject from civics to home economics to manual arts.

One must practice good mental hygiene. Aristotle emphasized that. Isolation can make one crazy, but not as fast as affirmation of your crazy ideas.

Filling the void. Cosmic secret.

Liberals and progressives must articulate a universal moral ethic that transcends utilitarian concerns and eschews identity politics.

So, like many, I looked for truth. I examined philosophy and its questions from a biologist's view. What is that view? It is survival. The ancient philosophical question of "why" or "what is my purpose" to a biologist is answered as "survival in the evolutionary sense". The "evolutionary sense" transcends the individual and offers an ideal and a goal. It certainly isn't about identity aside from elevation of humanity. (The Genetics part of the analysis I did says no race is adapted to the unknown future and we will need all the ethnic variation of humanity to survive... "Racism is dumb and dangerous".) Wouldn't that idea transcend individual utilitarian concerns?

My current work is about why we need to start teaching children the basics of philosophy along with reading, and how to do it. It would solve the problem of missing critical thinking skills and lack of moral foundation. That is just what philosphy teaches and ... it interacts with our moral and survival instincts... like language interacts with our neurology. That could solve most of the problems you mention here.

That leaves part of one issue you mention. I think that "transcends utilitarian concerns" would need a bit more. A God. Hmmmm. I'll have to think about that. I know a couple answers to it, but I'll have to think about it more.