Social distancing from a place of love

At our first online Philosophy Sunday we talked about how COVID-19 has sparked xenophobia and racism. People recommended the book White Fragility, and we explored ways to mitigate the harms of ‘othering’ whether it is based on race, national origin, or something else.

One of our members likes to locate phenomena along a spectrum of love and fear. We used that spectrum as a way to imagine social distancing as more than a physical act. Social distancing is also state of mind. It might be practiced from a place of fear, but we can also social distance from a place of love, social responsibility, and selfcare. Social distancing is like many things--what we do, and the way we think about what we do both matter.

Times of stress and duress can lead to feelings of blame and suspicion. We encourage you to guard against these feelings, and remember that we are all in this together. It is time for a sense of community and cooperation. Cooperation and compromise are what the next Philosophy Sunday is all about.
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On May 10, our subject will be compromise in government and the limits of human knowledge. We recommend reading Federalist Paper No. 37, and this brief background.