Closing the fractures of our souls: Philosophy and the meaningful life

Abstract

This article starts by unveiling the root of the prejudice the Humanities and Social Sciences, often regarded as soft-sciences fails to understand he significance of their focus in "essentially contestable concepts". On this ground, we elaborate a perspective of how the humanities, i.e., the "usefulness of the useless", can be the basis of an integral educational that goes beyond mere professionalism and envisages a wisdom that pertains and promotes the integral human being. We give examples related to this from history and the arts realm, and specifically we try to clarify how philosophy can contribute to an authentic or meaningful life, understood as an existence not alienated to shallow values.