Philosopher Marina Christodoulou Explores Ontological Exhaustion in New Interview

Marina Christodoulou, a philosopher teaching at Constructor University in Bremen, discussed her concept of “ontological exhaustion” in a recent interview published in both English and German. She described a process that moves from irritation through outrage to a deeper exhaustion of one’s relationship with the world and with one’s own actions, distinguishing it from ordinary burnout. Christodoulou argued that the capacity for outrage can also become a source of hope, offering a philosophical pathway for political and social engagement.

The interview highlighted how minor irritations signal a friction between the self and the world, potentially escalating into moral outrage. When repeated outrage leads nowhere, it can result in a profound disengagement, which she terms ontological exhaustion. The conversation explored the balance between wonder and indignation as essential to philosophical thinking and suggested sustainable forms of activism rooted in this awareness.