Wisdom
Wisdom is the ability to make correct judgments and decisions. It is an intangible quality gained through experience. Whether or not something is wise is determined in a pragmatic sense by its popularity, how long it has been around, and its ability to predict against future events. Wisdom is also accepted from cultural, philosophical and religious sources.
Many modern authorities on government, religion and philosophical ethics say that wisdom connotes an enlightened perspective. This perspective is often defined in a utilitarian way, as effective support for the long-term common good.
Wisdom and philosophy
A standard philosophical definition says that wisdom consists of making the best use of available knowledge. As with all decisions, a wise decision may be made with incomplete information. The technical philosophical term for the opposite of wisdom is folly. In his Metaphysics, Aristotle defines wisdom as knowledge of causes: why things are the way they are.
Sources of wisdom
Beyond the simple expedient of experience (which may be considered the most difficult way to gain wisdom as through the "school of hard knocks"), there are a variety of other avenues to gaining wisdom which vary according to different philosophies. For example, Freethinkers and others believe that wisdom may come from pure reason and perhaps experience, while others believe that it comes from intuition or spirituality.
- Traditional western culture associates wisdom with virtue. For example, in the Roman Catholic church, wisdom (prudence) stands with justice, fortitude and moderation as one of the four cardinal virtues. The source of these virtues was Plato.
- Holists believe that wise people sense, work with and align themselves and others to life. In this view, wise people help others appreciate the fundamental interconnectedness of life.
- Some religions hold that wisdom may be given as a gift from God.
- The Jewish book of Proverbs in the Old Testament states "Fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom".
- Confucius stated that wisdom can be learned by three methods: reflection (the noblest), imitation (the easiest) and experience (the bitterest).
See also
- Virtue
- Streetwise
- Wisdom literature
- Book of Wisdom (Biblical book, also called Wisdom of Solomon)
- School of Hard Knocks
- Philosophy & Wisdom