What_Is_Wisdom_

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. He also explains his ideas of a simplistic life, adding in his feelings on conformity. Thoreau's residence in the woods provides him with several lessons and concepts. Thoreau wants to learn everything life has to offer, in order to live his life to the fullest; he believes nature gives him the best vantage point from which to learn. According to Thoreau, "we loiter in winter while it is already spring. In a pleasant spring morning all men's sins are forgiven. Such a day is a truce to vice," (Walden). This statement is wise because it talks about how the revitalization of the landscape suggests the restoration of the human soul. While in the woods, he meditates on the pond, thinking about the vastness that people need in their lives. "Be it life or death, we crave only reality. If we are really dying, let us hear the rattle in our throats and feel cold in the extremities; if we are alive let us go about our business," (Thoreau). This statement is wise because it is true. In our lives, we do crave reality; we crave to see and living things around us and to live in a real world. "The universe is wider than our views of it," (Thoreau). We only know what we know about things, but outside the four walls of our homes, there is a vast world waiting for us to discover. "Be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, of thought," (Thoreau). Live your life, and live it to the fullest, and not in a "quiet desperation." Socrates wisdom on the other hand is a bit different from Thoreau’s views and examples of wisdom. In the Apology, Socrates claims that he has no knowledge of his own, but that he is wiser than other people only insofar as he knows that he does not know, whereas others are ignorant even of their own ignorance. According to Socrates, “to fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise: for it is to think that we know what we do not know,” (Apology). Socrates is trying to explain that he does not always have the answer to everything, and though this does not make him unwise, it just makes him aware of his own knowledge (human), which makes him wise. Plato on the other hand, developed a two layer view of reality, the world of turning into something and the world of what we already are. In the first world, Plato believes that we perceive the physical world through our senses. This world is always in movement, always changing. In the second world, it is considered to be the world of forms, or ideas. It is pure, independent, and magnificent. It never changes and yet it causes the essential nature of things we perceive in the other world. To gain wisdom, one must have good judgment, confidence in themselves, and basic knowledge of the world. When a person has obtained these three traits, then and only then, will a person be able to experience/ know what true wisdom is. Even though these three traits seem to be easily obtainable most people will never truly experience wisdom. Wisdom and knowledge are interrelated; one does not exist without the other. You gain knowledge through experience and wisdom is obtained through knowledge of an experience or gained through plain old common knowledge/ sense. I understand that I may have used a lot of quotes in my paper, but each quote is important to me in trying to understand each philosopher’s view on wisdom. It may not be wise to use so many quotes in this paper because I am relying too much on the quotes to help support the paper, rather than on my own thoughts. But I have to hope that I backed them up enough with point of views on the quote, and that I hopefully cited them correctly. But if I did not cite them correctly, them hopefully I will learn from my mistakes, and write a better paper next time. By gaining this new wisdom, I will hopefully become a better student. References * Wisdom. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wisdom * SparkNotes Editors. (2002). SparkNotes on The Republic. Retrieved November 10, 2011, from http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/republic/ * Tarrant, H. (2003). Apology. Plato: The Last Days of Socrates. London, England: Penguin Group. Print. * Thoreau, H.D. (2004). Walden and Other Writings. J.W. Krutch, (Ed.). New York, NY: Bantman.