Fall 2010 Wisdom Course Class Notes

September 1, 2010

• First Class - About 1/2 of the class will be taken up with introductory information and questions.

• Preliminary Discussion of Wisdom:

Here are a number of claims that you typically hear when the topic of wisdom comes up. In reading them, try to notice if you initially believe the claim or not. Then, in your discussion, consider reasons for believing or being skeptical of these claims.

• People used to be wiser a long long time ago.
• Wisdom is a special kind of knowledge.
• Wisdom comes with old age.
• Wise people lead better (happier or more meaningful) lives.

September 8, 2010

• Hall, Chapters 1 and 2: "What is Wisdom?" and "The Wisest Man in the World"
• Sternberg, "Understanding Wisdom"
• Robinson, "Wisdom Through the Ages" (Sternberg)
• Discussion of Philosophical Method

Hall, Chapters 1 and 2: "What is Wisdom?" and "The Wisest Man in the World"

-opening story, point about wisdom

-his approach, p. 16 - definition of wisdom, bot. 17 --

-Hall's initial theoretical definition: bot 18 -- read & note

-Ch. 2: Socrates & Axial Age

-Axial Age Hypothesis, 23 -- for more on this, see the wiki page, "Axial Age" beyond this (optional): read something about Max Weber, who influenced Jaspers. A respected popular historian, Karen Armstrong, wrote The Great Transformationfrom an "axial age" standpoint. Jaspers himself points to sociological conditions that might account for the "pivot" he and others observe in ancient cultures from 800-200 bc. We'll talk about it more at the end of the course where cultural accounts come into play.

-Contrast between Pericles and Socrates, p. 28