What Is Wisdom?
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- Date Submitted: 12/08/2011 08:31 PM
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What is Wisdom?
According to Dictionary.com, wisdom is defined as “the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.” Wisdom involves seeing things as they are, the ability to know when and where to act and where not to act, the idea of understanding situations and how to avoid doing the wrong thing, and so fourth. However, there is much more to wisdom than just a simple definition. Wisdom has infinite meanings.
Throughout history, important philosophers like Plato, Socrates, and Henry David Thoreau have provided different translations to the meaning of life and to the definition of wisdom. Plato saw wisdom as an external force that could only be seen by human intelligence. He viewed that, “if a man can be properly said to love something, it must be clear that he feels affection for it as a whole, and does not love part of it to the exclusion of the rest,” (The Republic). Socrates, on the other hand, persistently questions everything, not aiming to humiliate nor is it a wise choice to do, but he used it as a way to discover truth with a view of the good life. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing,” (Socrates). Thoreau on the other hand, thought that a meaningful life could only be found / obtained through the usage of one’s own choices. “However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names,” (Thoreau). At times, their views may have been greatly similar at times, both questioning things and using ones own choices to make a decision. In the end, both views are completely opposite of each other.
In the story of Walden that is written by Thoreau, he directs it towards his readers, in hopes that its intended usage will provoke them into thought. It is a story about Thoreau's life in the woods and the wisdom he gained from his experiences. He tells of a road less traveled, which, to him is the only road to travel upon....
According to Dictionary.com, wisdom is defined as “the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.” Wisdom involves seeing things as they are, the ability to know when and where to act and where not to act, the idea of understanding situations and how to avoid doing the wrong thing, and so fourth. However, there is much more to wisdom than just a simple definition. Wisdom has infinite meanings.
Throughout history, important philosophers like Plato, Socrates, and Henry David Thoreau have provided different translations to the meaning of life and to the definition of wisdom. Plato saw wisdom as an external force that could only be seen by human intelligence. He viewed that, “if a man can be properly said to love something, it must be clear that he feels affection for it as a whole, and does not love part of it to the exclusion of the rest,” (The Republic). Socrates, on the other hand, persistently questions everything, not aiming to humiliate nor is it a wise choice to do, but he used it as a way to discover truth with a view of the good life. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing,” (Socrates). Thoreau on the other hand, thought that a meaningful life could only be found / obtained through the usage of one’s own choices. “However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names,” (Thoreau). At times, their views may have been greatly similar at times, both questioning things and using ones own choices to make a decision. In the end, both views are completely opposite of each other.
In the story of Walden that is written by Thoreau, he directs it towards his readers, in hopes that its intended usage will provoke them into thought. It is a story about Thoreau's life in the woods and the wisdom he gained from his experiences. He tells of a road less traveled, which, to him is the only road to travel upon....