Fall 2010 Wisdom Course Class Notes

Return to Wisdom

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

Sternberg, "Understanding Wisdom"

This is mostly an overview of the book, so there's nothing too remarkable for us to discuss, unless you all have questions.

Robinson, "Wisdom Through the Ages"

This one of several mini-histories of wisdom we'll look at.

-note on Homeric concept --- p. 13-14: Greek concept of soul/nous

-distinctions among sophia, phronesis, episteme

-Aristotle's concept of wisdom. idion ergon/ prohaireseis / hexeis

-comment on his gloss of stoics.

-Christian split (influences): Aristotelean vs. Platonic

-Aquinas: quote on p. 20 -- "perspective shift" is a common theme in wisdom accounts

-Scientific revolution as challenge to ancient conceptions of wisdom and divinity

Discussion of Philosophical Method

We need to start talking about what it means to do philosophy. We'll start today with a quick review of argument theory and then introduce more philosophical methods over the next few classes.