French philosopher Michel Onfrei does not stop raising the controversy in his country with surprising and shocking intellectual reviews, most notable of which were statements in 2015 in which he considered that the West was the one who created violence and sowed the seeds of war on political Islam when he tried to impose strange ideas on the Middle East region.
The French philosopher - who is an extension of postmodern philosophers in France and known for the abundance of his works that promise tens - denounces the inefficiency of European governments in dealing with the Corona pandemic, and calls for reading the books of the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, who is famous for his personal reflections and commitment to isolation until his death in 1592 AD, as well as Watch the films of French film director Jacques Tati, who presented important feature films that won international awards, demonstrating his stance against this mandatory quarantine.
Philosophical pleasures
In an interview with the French magazine Le Pen, Onfrey recommends reading the works of the Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius - who is classified as one of the "five best emperors" who ruled the Roman Empire from 96 to 180 AD before the era of the turmoil and fall of the empire - and he was famous for his meditations that he wrote "to himself" and recorded it while his country was fighting A fierce war did not prevent him from writing his ideas, which became one of the most important books of Stoic philosophy, although he did not want to go out to the public, and Aurelius embodies the dream of the philosopher Plato that the ruler be a philosopher.
Onfrey also recommends reading the works of the Latin philosopher and writer Lucius Seneca (died 65 AD) who wrote nine tragic plays that embody his moral and stoic philosophy, and whose characters engage in dramatic struggles between reason and emotion.
The French philosopher says that these great writers can be considered the philosophers of the struggle against adversity par excellence; they offer advice to fight anxiety, fear, anguish, aging, disease, suffering, betrayal, and of course death.
Honfrey is classified as the object of the "anti-liberal left", and he presented in his writings the works of great philosophers, considering that philosophy is an art of existence and its goal is happiness through sensual and intellectual pleasures, and his book "History of Anti-Philosophy" carries a liberating sense through which he seeks to simplify philosophy to the public instead of monopolizing it before Academic and specialized elites, raising the slogan "Philosophy for All".
Education and children
Regarding what must be taught to children in the framework of organizing distance education, Onfrey stated that they should be taught how to read, write and calculate, and thus analyze, think and gain a critical mind, which are considered reactionary in the eyes of the "nihilists" who have presented themselves for years as being progressive.
Moreover, this educational approach can also be utilized to do what the school has not really done which is to teach art, which is a real school of sensitivity, according to Onfrey's comments to the French magazine.
Onfrey continues to teach poems and read poetry to children, as well as stories, and to make them discover theater or opera, texts, brochures, and scenes of smart shows.
Common sense and boredom
Regarding the feeling of boredom during this period, Onfrey said that he always ignored the concept of boredom, because books were for him a way out of all the predicaments that I faced.
The French philosopher quotes Montesquieu, the French writer and political philosopher, on the curative virtue of reading: "I have never felt sad that an hour of reading has not dispelled him." Therefore, Onfrey considers that he is unable to imagine another person getting bored; boredom means not dealing with anything but yourself, at a time when the world is vast outside of ourselves.
Regarding the ongoing debate about people accepting deprivation of liberty without complaining, and fearing fines for non-compliance with quarantine rules or fear of death, Onfrey commented that this was mainly due to common sense.
It should be noted that Onfrey previously confirmed in a previous press interview on January 28 that China would not have decided to close a city of millions of people without serious reasons and without acknowledging the existence of a real threat.
The decline of Europe
And whether the pandemic of the new Corona virus will constitute a new stage in the "collapse of the Judeo-Christian civilization," according to the analysis presented in his book "Decline", Onfrey said that this virus is part of the collapse movement.
The pandemic shows, according to the French philosopher, the incompetence of the head of state and government, as well as the inconsistency and contradiction of Macron's speeches (such as calling to stay at home and going to vote), which leads to distrust of the French president who is not obedient.
Onfrey continues to say that Europe's ideology is collapsing, as a result of the liberal policy that justifies putting the elderly in hospital corridors and leaving them breathing their last, and that throwing the medical team in the "battlefield", and the inability to provide them with masks or even an alcoholic sterilizer to repel harm for them It does not portend or precipitate a fall, but rather fully shows the ways in which it falls.
He continues by saying that the media monitors death around the clock, and puts the French in front of this existential dilemma, and it is not related to facing death but rather to facing deficits in such a time, and in the inability to provide an addition in this and other areas.
The collapse of globalization
Speaking of China sending a million masks in the form of aid, and how this demonstrated the extreme weakness of the Europeans, Onfrey made it clear that it was like the fall of the Soviet Union when the West had for more than half a century imagined the success of the Marxist-Leninist empire.
Indeed, the epidemic shows how Europe - which had been a world economic power for a quarter of a century - is likely to join the ranks of the great world empires that were destined to fall, because of its inability to make masks for the medical teams that receive the victims of the epidemic.
Italy, which has about 60 million people, is part of the European Union, and it records more deaths than China recorded from the Coruna virus. In short, the philosopher says, "Europe has become the new third world."
Everyone thought, according to the French philosopher, that the coming crisis would be primarily economic, but what made the world collapse was a virus. Explaining the reason for this misjudgment, Onfrey noted that the virus is linked to the globalization economy.
Onfrey explained his opinion, explaining that the liberal economy made profit the goal and end of all policies, and wondered why we produce and store masks? Considering that this made health services a monopoly of the wealthy who can provide funds to enjoy them.
He continues, "It is undeniable that the virus has exposed the economic options, and therefore the policy pursued in France from Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, President of the French Republic from 1974 to 1981, to Francois Mitterrand, to Emmanuel Macron."
Ignore the flag
Speaking of ignoring scientific discourse, Onfrey stressed that the term "science" should not be an argument that would prevent any critical thinking.
Regarding the possibility that this crisis could cause a civil and moral explosion in European societies, Onfrey said that this crisis will be followed by heavy consequences, but he believes in the emergence of increasing anger.
At the present time, there is reservations about expressing this anger because of the onset of stone, intellectual and moral rivalry, and fragmented information. But this crisis will not on its own initiative revive the civil spirit that was finally destroyed by fifty years of public advertising in France, according to the French philosopher.
In conclusion, on the existence of previous historical events that could inspire Europeans to rebuild themselves, Onfrey pointed out that there is no point in searching in the past for reasons to understand the present, as the present is sufficient for those who work their intelligence, minds, thinking, and critical thought.