What is Wisdom
Defining wisdom is a difficult and often contentious undertaking.Throughout history, important thinkers like Plato, Thoreau, Pieper, Frankland Huxley have provided a different understanding of the purpose of lifeand of the meaning of wisdom itself. Their views have often beenfundamentally different. Plato saw wisdom as an external force that couldonly begin to be seen by human intelligence, while Frankl's understandingof wisdom and meaning is based on a deeply subjective and individualisticunderstanding. At times, their views have been greatly similar. Thoreauand Huxley both argue that a meaningful life can be found through thecapacity for individual choice. The texts also differ greatly in theiremphasis on the introspective and spiritual versus the intellectual andrational approach to wisdom and meaning. In the end, perhaps true wisdomcan be found through a combination of the careful reflection of therational and an understanding of the spiritual. A truly wise world viewlikely encompasses both aspects of rational, intellectual understanding,and an intuitive, spiritual awareness of the world and the self. Plato provides perhaps one of the most ancient understandings of
Their views run the gamut from the secular to the argument thatspirituality is itself the creation of meaning and wisdom in life. It is through the satisfaction of this drive that can allow man toexperience a good and happy life. He argues that our society's unthinking acceptance of the Weberian workethic has led to the creation of a society that is deeply dysfunctional. Socrates' skill as amaster orator is revealed in Apology, as he convincingly uses the SocraticMethod to come to an understanding of wisdom. Josef Pieper takes a somewhat different look at creating a meaningfullife than Huxley, Thoreau, Plato, or Pieper. Ultimately, Plato notes, "He, O men, is the wisest, who, likeSocrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing. In contrast,Frankl's understanding of wisdom allows wisdom itself to be subjective. He suggests that today's society is spiritually doomed unless we learn tomake time for true leisure, and thus embrace man's capacity forspirituality. Through his description of the sterile life in theBrave New World, Huxley shows that happiness that is based on material gainand avoiding discomfort is only an illusion of happiness. Henotes, "The better part of the man is soon plowed into the soil for compost. In his novel, Brave New World, Aldous Huxley's understanding ofliving a full and meaningful life is reminiscent of Thoreau's emphasis onpersonal freedom. He notedthat material gains could not bring a true happiness that was onlyobtainable through insight and reflection.
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Acceptance Essays
