How Crises Reveal Worldviews

It is not possible to live one's life without engaging in philosophy to at least some relatively minor extent: even the most practical of matters has elements of epistemology and metaphysics.  Of course, as a conversation with all but a small number of people shows, many have no idea how to even explain what something as basic as the laws of logic, logical fallacies, and the scientific method are.  Whatever shallow grasp or misconceptions of concepts plagues a given individual do not automatically vanish when global trials arise.  If anything, most people tend to react to trials by doubling down on their own stupidity, and the COVID-19 situation is no exception.

The COVID-19 pandemic gives those who make positive assumptions about scientific progress and the alleged epistemological authority of "experts" a chance to feel vindicated in their fallacies.  In the same way, the pandemic gives those who are prone to embrace unverifiable conspiracy theories about bioweapons or government secrets a chance to feel vindicated in their own respective fallacies as well.  These responses to COVID-19, as well as several others, exemplify how crises--no matter how minor, mediocre, or severe they actually are--reveal the ramifications of people's worldviews that they might otherwise ignore.

If it is never rational to assume that an authority figure is right, the COVID-19 pandemic does not change that.  If a conspiracy theory cannot be proven, there is never an intellectual or moral justification for endorsing that conspiracy theory even when the subject matter is as big as the new corona virus (as usual, the left and right are guilty of collectively erroneous reactions to the sudden pandemic).  Reason and morality do not change when circumstances shift.  However, what people believe about reason and morality often does either change or at least come to light in the presence of a crisis like the virus.

Intentionality, intelligence, and a commitment to truth are all necessary to step away from the asinine ideas that might seize individuals--or even entire countries--when trials like a novel sickness strike.  One does not have to be especially observant, though, to see that trials often force people to acknowledge or evaluate their worldviews.  Those worldviews are at best rarely sound, but there is nothing a person can do in a time of personal, national, or global crisis without revealing their philosophical stances.  What do people believe is possible?  This will impact their proposed responses.  What do people think about morality?  This will impact how they treat others in such times.

Worldviews always come to light in trials, even if only in the introspective privacy of people's own minds.  Whether those worldviews are rational or not is up to each individual in that no one is held hostage to false ideas.  Every being that can reason can know at least foundational truths about reality; unfortunately, few even try to understand these basic truths until their circumstances push them into a philosophical corner.  Nevertheless, every crisis is an opportunity for the irrational or apathetic to amend their worldviews as reason demands.  No person has to remain with a philosophy that is false or unverifiable.