“Please imagine Helen with a smile”: philosophical playfulness and the legacy of Helen De Cruz

Helen De Cruz’s death deprived us of an admirable philosopher. What are we to do without them? The present paper demonstrates that De Cruz led by example, that we can imitate them, and even come to lead by example ourselves. I present the playful fictional dialogue written by the editors (De Cruz included) of Philosophy through Science Fiction as an alternative way of doing philosophy and as a display of virtue. Moreover, so as to walk the talk, I present this sci-fi dialogue through a particularly personal, emotional, and rhetorically stylized lens. As a plea for others to try a different way of doing philosophy, I recount my practice of “friendship with the ancients,” a spiritual exercise rediscovered by Helen De Cruz, which allows us to reconnect with dead philosophers. I show how this exercise affords me a deeper connection with the sci-fi dialogue and Helen De Cruz’s thinking in general, highlighting key aspects: philosophical friendship, the mood of playfulness, a myriad of possible philosophical games, and the silent menace of gatekeeping. It may console us somewhat to realize that Helen De Cruz has equipped us with everything we need to follow in their footsteps.