MANIFESTO
What To Do About Now? A Manifesto
In favour of philosophy in the age of post-truth politics
In times of crisis, when uncertainty breeds fear and misinformation spreads like wildfire, public discourse often descends into polarised battles of ‘right versus wrong’ or ‘informed versus misinformed.’ This comes at an especially undesirable time with looming issues that require unprecedented amounts of international coordination and agreement (from ecological catastrophe to widening inequality). We must use the tools of philosophy to help us understand why and how we disagree, and to point us towards the path for better public discourse. This is the mission of What to do about now? – read our new Editorial Team’s blog and statement here.
Philosophy demands clarity on what we are arguing about, and why.
Philosophy teaches us how to disagree—not just what to think.
Philosophy creates the conditions for new futures.
Philosophy’s methods— of critical reflection, open dialogue, and reasoned argument —can help us build bridges across ideological divides. Ultimately, a philosophical approach to public discourse fosters the conditions for respectful discourse — not as mere passive acceptance, but as an active, and often critical, effort to understand where others are coming from. In times of crisis, this kind of engagement is not a luxury but a necessity. This is something anyone can learn and everyone deserves. We want to extend these skills beyond the walls of the academy.
Catarina is a Postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University, working in the project ‘Visions for the Future’. Previously, she worked as a teaching assistant at Nova School of Business and Economics, in Lisbon, where she lectured the course on Ethics. She earned a PhD in Philosophy from University of Minho, Braga, in 2023, with a thesis on Unconditional Basic Income. Her interests include Reciprocity and Basic Income, and more recently, post-growth futures.
Contact: a.c.moiteirodasneves@uu.nl
1. We don't just need more facts — we need better understanding.
The crisis we face is not just misinformation. It's misunderstanding. We're not just disagreeing — we're talking past each other.
Philosophy helps us ask: What are we really arguing about?
2. Behind every opinion is a value. Behind every value is a reason.
Philosophy doesn't stop at “What do you think?” It asks “Why do you think that?”. Not to win arguments, but to understand the roots of belief.
3. Disagreement isn't a failure — it's an opportunity.
Philosophy teaches us to disagree without feeling we have failed. To see conflict as a space for shared inquiry. Conflict isn't war; it's where ideas evolve, sharpen, and grow.
4. Be radically curious.
Assume less. Ask more. Be humble enough to change your mind.
Wonder is not weakness — it’s our greatest tool for building a better future.
5. Facts need frameworks.
Algorithms polarise. Soundbites simplify. Philosophy clarifies.
Facts are formed in light of our prior beliefs and frameworks of thinking, philosophy uncovers and reasons with those beliefs and frameworks.
6. Don't silence opinion — make it more thoughtful.
Take your opponent’s best argument and try to understand it and engage with it.
Philosophy doesn’t destroy opinion. A better discourse doesn’t mean less speech — it means more meaningful speech.
This is the work. This is the method. This is our philosophical manifesto for a post-truth world.