A Lesson From Covid-19 On The Need To Dig Deeper

Every semester, the most common feedback I give on my philosophy students’ essays is to dig deeper into the topic and be more detailed in their philosophical responses. As philosophers, I believe we are charged above all with the need to not accept facts at face value, but to delve deeper to find the truth. I also believe that philosophy should not be constrained to the “big issues” or to analytical contemplation, but philosophy should be applied to everyday life. Philosophers serve an important role as gadflies who peel back the surface to reveal the wider connections and deeper meanings and resonances in daily events.

So, I can’t help but turn my philosophical gaze to the unfolding tragedy of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are many aspects of the pandemic that need to be explored but I will use as an example a surface issue we see constantly: the statistics of cases of and deaths from the virus. Most people, and sadly most reporters, take the statistics at face value. But these stats vividly show the need to dig deeper and respond with questions for more details. The official numbers tell only part of the story.

The problem with the official statistics is the problem inherent with any statistics: they only indicate what was measured, not what actually is. Data is not knowledge, much less wisdom, and the appropriate interpretation of…