Amateurish Notes on Knowledge and Wisdom
Knowledge is active in acquisition, but passive in use. Knowledge as fact is always static, though a body of knowledge needs maintenance.
Wisdom is active in acquisition and dynamic in use.
To what extent does wisdom mediate knowledge? Is wisdom another word for understanding?
Knowledge and wisdom seem to both touch on "truth" or what is true about individuals, humankind, or the world.
Most would say that knowledge is factual; a body of knowledge is a collection of "truths." Wisdom, however, is much more abstract, even metaphoric. Compare a piece of knowledge, "I have ten fingers," with a bit of wisdom, "Patience is a virtue."
Wisdom appears to be a product of our higher order functions. A dog can know things, but cannot be wise.
Compare the adjectival forms: knowledgeable and wise.
Are clichés knowledge or wisdom?
Knowledge can be put to good or evil. Wisdom seems to be inherently good: a value-laden term.
Knowledge can be taught, the abbé says, but wisdom cannot.
Wisdom is active in acquisition and dynamic in use.
To what extent does wisdom mediate knowledge? Is wisdom another word for understanding?
Knowledge and wisdom seem to both touch on "truth" or what is true about individuals, humankind, or the world.
Most would say that knowledge is factual; a body of knowledge is a collection of "truths." Wisdom, however, is much more abstract, even metaphoric. Compare a piece of knowledge, "I have ten fingers," with a bit of wisdom, "Patience is a virtue."
Wisdom appears to be a product of our higher order functions. A dog can know things, but cannot be wise.
Compare the adjectival forms: knowledgeable and wise.
Are clichés knowledge or wisdom?
Knowledge can be put to good or evil. Wisdom seems to be inherently good: a value-laden term.
Knowledge can be taught, the abbé says, but wisdom cannot.
posted by AJV at 2:37 PM
1 Comments:
I have a hard time finding a thesis that binds these fragments together. But that is what I like about it. It is about wisdom and wisdom is not systematic. Nor is it necessarily unified. It is certainly not bound to the laws of consistency or non-contradiction.
These fragments are the shining shards that are left when a static and ridged system of truth (worldview) is shattered like an old plate glass window.
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