Verified Document

Wisdom What Is Wisdom If Term Paper

Related Topics:

This humility is the element of wisdom that I did not understand prior to this course. Of the philosophers that I studied, I found Plato's views of wisdom the most untenable. Plato tried to equate wisdom with truth. I understand that when he did so, he was speaking of the universal truth. However, I simply do not believe that there are sufficient universal truths to equate wisdom with truth. In any scenario with multiple people, there are multiple perspectives as to the truth. Therefore, there is no ultimate truth. He believed that philosophers studied reality, but reality is much more flexible and fluid than he acknowledged. Therefore, I find his concept of wisdom to be the least reasonable; it lacks the humility that I think is necessary for true wisdom.

Of the philosophers that I studied, I found that Aristotle's views seemed the most reasonable. Given their relationship, it is no surprise that Aristotle and Plato shared...

However, Aristotle's approach to wisdom differed from Plato's in a significant way; Aristotle recognized the subjective nature of knowledge and the truth. He believed that philosophers sought wisdom, and that wisdom was knowledge having to do with certain principles or causes. However, he also cautioned people to look at the principles and causes. For example, he believed that the nature of society helped determine whether a man was wise; a society of the insane would not consider a sane man wise, just as a society of the sane does not consider an insane man wise. Aristotle seemed to grasp the subjective nature of the truth, which is so very important in shaping ideas of wisdom and philosophy. After all, the important questions in philosophy, such as the nature of being, the nature of wisdom, and the inherent goodness of mankind, have very different answers based on the surrounding society. To ignore this is to ignore wisdom.

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Wisdom, Over All of Plato's
Words: 621 Length: 2 Document Type: Journal

Wisdom is necessary to determine the capacity and limits imposed upon the warrior class to carry out this task. Temperance deals with self-control and moderation. The state must be aware of its limits and determine the point at which excesses are achieved and learn to moderate them, or to deter itself from indulgence. Wisdom will help to establish discipline and ensure that excesses are not reached, or how to scale

Wisdom Can Probably Best Be
Words: 611 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

In many ways, according to Socrates, wisdom and humility come very close in terms of meaning. According to the legend, the oracle was asked whether there was anyone wiser than Socrates, to which the oracle replied that Socrates was the wisest. This led Socrates to take his time and research on the other people's wisdom, not believing that he himself was the wisest and knowing that other individuals as well

Wisdom The Study of Philosophy in General
Words: 1233 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Wisdom? The study of philosophy in general is often thought of as the gaining of knowledge. At least, so it is for many philosophy students embarking upon a college course that attempts to introduce them to the cannon of Western thought and to give them the basis for asking the right questions about their daily lives and their daily getting of wisdom, in class and outside of class. After reading

Wisdom of Socrates Today: The Consolations of
Words: 1328 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

wisdom of Socrates today: The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton The first chapter of Alain de Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy is set in an art museum. The author gazes upon an image of David's The Death of Socrates. De Botton contrasts his desire to be liked with the Greek philosopher's willingness to be unpopular, to the point of accepting a death sentence. "If the postcard [I bought

Wisdom Is the Continual Desire
Words: 1085 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

While I have always trusted in the justice system to uphold the law and ensure the safety of the American people from violations of social norms, the astounding rates of individuals being falsely convicted of crimes has significantly shaken the foundation on which my beliefs were built. What are your Assumptions When I say that I oppose the death penalty, I am assuming that the death penalty does not increase the

Analysis the Wisdom of Job
Words: 1145 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Wisdom of Job The book of Job is one of the greatest depictions of the concept of theodicy in the Holy Scripture. Job is seen to undergo large-scale suffering in the hands of Satan before God finally restores him to his original state of wealth and glory. This text analyses among other things, how the book of Job qualifies as speculative wisdom literature, its major themes, and the specific features it

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now