What is the use of philosophy in a social situation that is hopelessly imperilled, in a struggle that moves before our eyes to the anguish of defeat? Its acceptance by a few individuals cannot change the situation itself, cannot save civilization from the doom it has brought upon itself. What philosophy can do is to help the individual, both in the privacy of his inner life and in the reactions to his outer fate. In a desperate situation such as we have confronting us today, philosophy bids him remember that this reaction offers him the chance of rising swiftly to a higher status, the opportunity to be ennobled rather than crushed by disaster. It reminds him of what is, after all, the higher purpose of life--the building of character and the pursuit of wisdom. It bids him develop the spiritual hero in himself and face what must be faced with serenity and reflection. If such advice seems too high for his modest powers, it is nonetheless practical. For even if no one could live up to it--which is untrue--anyone would be better able to cope with fate if he tried to.
-- Notebooks Category 13: Human Experience > Chapter 4 : World Crisis > # 346
