Wisdom

Wisdom is a human cardinal virtue and referred primarily a deep understanding of contexts in nature, life and society, as well as the ability to identify problems and challenges each conclusive and most sensible course of action.

There are several definitions and concepts of wisdom that move generally in the tension spaces between rationality and intuition, knowledge and faith, and between experience and instinct. Wide consensus in the view that wisdom by intellectual flexibility and independence testifies: It enables its wearer to systematically things

• Thinking ( " a wise knowledge ," " a wise decision ", " a wise judgment " ),
• To say ( " a wise word ," " wise counsel " ), or
• To do ( " a wise behavior ")

The prove in the given situation as sustainable sense. The often happens while avoiding disturbing influences, such as one's own emotional state or social peer pressure. On closer inspection and comprehensive assessment of all the circumstances, sometimes only with temporal or spatial distance, these considerations, statements and actions, however, prove to be "right", true or "true". The same applies to words and actions that after careful consideration not pronounce or do (see " Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses ") of the way.

As the subject is discussed wisdom of philosophy and theology, the various religions and ethnology, sociology of knowledge and personality psychology, fairy tales and myths, as well as research in their artistic designs through art, literature and music.

• 3.1 The Bible
• 3.2 Definition of St. Augustine
• 3.3 Jewish mysticism
• 3.4 wisdom in Buddhism and Hinduism
• 3.5 Confucianism and Daoism

Linguistic

The adjective example ( " knowing, wise, live learn " ) comes from Middle High German wis, Wise ( " intelligent, wise, learned, erudite, knowledgeable "), which from the Old High German wis, WiSi ( 8 JHT. ) Or from Middle Low German and Old Saxon WIS derived. The Germanic word * setting ( s ) a- derived ueid, the related know the meaning of the District developed Indo-European root. The meaning is probably " knowledgeable with regard to one thing, wise, experienced " as in the ancient Indian vedas (" knowledge, insight " ), or in Sanskrit Veda ("knowledge "). " Saw " Originally this word meant form before their first change of meaning probably "see" or, as it ( "see" ) the difference between the Latin and the Greek oida videre ( "know" ) can be seen. Derived from the German adjective as the factitive verb is jmd (below ) show ( ' show, lead, teach "). The main word wisdom as "the state of the way one" ( Old High German wīsheit ) can be detected since the 9th century. Closely related is the word shrewdness in the old meaning of " prudence, shrewdness ".

The English name for wisdom is wisdom, the ancient Greek σοφία, the Latin sapientia, the Arab hikma.

Philosophy

The relationship between philosophy and wisdom is there on the subject, where the former springs from the latter actually or allegedly, explicitly distinguishes itself from older or contemporaneous wisdom traditions, or on the other hand with the wisdom itself - perhaps only in a weaker form than the pursuit of this as basically unattainable ideal - declared to be identical. The self-designation as a " friend of wisdom " is in this case designed programmatically again and again in the history of philosophy, and was often the starting point for the determination of their own self-understanding.

While still Homer, Pindar or Heraclitus sophia used in its original meaning as " efficiency in relation to something ", this changes with Socrates, who had their failure in the understanding of general issues in his disputes with in certain respects even particularly excellent efficient interlocutors and the from the Delphic oracle, due to its dictum " I know that I know nothing" was known as the wisest; the underlying motive of him here a human asset contemporary wisdom in contrast to this excess, understood as divine wisdom should determine the philosophical and theological discourse partly about the wisdom in the West in the other.

Antiquity

It is one of Plato's so-called four cardinal virtues. Colloquially wisdom as a Short Title of the Book of Wisdom and the Wisdom of Solomon, a deuterocanonical or apocryphal book of the Old Testament, used.

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church knows here, however, only the term wisdom.

Philosophical considerations

Rather, it is defined as a goal that we should be looking for. She asks after the (last) reason for the meaning. Knowledge and wisdom are related, without the sum of all knowledge results in wisdom, for hanging as a virtue with the other virtues together closely. Wisdom is knowledge essential truths and to live accordingly ( truthfulness ). Lots of ( semi- ) knowledge is often buried wisdom, including the Unerforschbares and tranquility, as well as a moderation. Wisdom includes knowledge about the provisional nature and the limits of all knowledge and thus goes beyond mere factual knowledge. Wisdom is neither stored nor programmable. Wisdom also includes love of the world and is aimed to do good.

Religions

In many religions, wisdom is considered to be bestowed divine.

The Bible

In the Bible, wisdom is presented as a gift of God. So the wise Solomon got his proverbial wisdom as an answer to a prayer (1 Kings 3.5 to 14 ). On the other hand, wisdom is also associated with personal experience: "The way of a fool seems right in his own eyes, the way but listens to counsel. " (Proverbs 12:15) The Bible also contains direct instructions for obtaining wisdom: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard, look at her ways and be wise "( Proverbs 6:6)

The Apostle Paul represented according to the Bible the view that the world is not capable of recognizing and understanding and wisdom, "For God hath said, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the cleverness of the clever ' Where there remain ways.? Where the scribe? Where the spokesmen of today's world? Has not God revealed as the stupidity of what keeps this world for wisdom? For though the world is surrounded by God's wisdom, they did not recognize her wisdom God. And that is why God has decided to save all who believe his seemingly foolish message. The Jews want to see miracles, the Gentiles seek wisdom, but we, we preach that the Crucified One is the promised savior of God. For the Jews, this is a scandal for the other peoples stupidity, but for those whom God has called - Jews or non-Jews - is the crucified Christ God's power and God's wisdom. What looks foolish in God is wiser than men, and what seems weak in God is stronger than men. " ( 1 Corinthians 1.19-25 ( new ) )

Definition of St. Augustine

" For wisdom is nothing more than the measure of our mind, causing it to be kept in balance, so that he neither ausschweife in excess, still fall into the inadequacy. Waste, greed, arrogance, and the like, which unsolidified and helpless people believe that they can gain pleasure and power let him inflate excessively. Greed, fear, sadness, envy, and another, which leads to disaster - how to confess the unfortunates themselves - close up with him. Has the spirit, however, found wisdom, then holds the gaze directed at them ... then he did not need incredible amount to fear still lack, nor misfortune. Then he has his measure, namely the wisdom and is always happy. "

Jewish mysticism

In Kabbalah, a mystical tradition of Judaism, the Chochmah applies (divine wisdom, prudence, skill, plan of creation ) as one of ten Sephiroth, ie Emanations of God.

Wisdom in Buddhism and Hinduism

Buddhism called wisdom with the concept Prajna, namely the large comprehensive wisdom that permeates all things and phenomena in the universe, or even with Sunyata ( Sanskrit) as the realization that all apparent phenomena are empty of an independent inherent existence. The realization of Sunyata in the perception of phenomena and self is therefore a fundamental experience in the attainment of enlightenment.

In Hinduism Wisdom and knowledge are called Vidya ( Sanskrit). It is least in yoga need to disband the dualism, first stop the thought of being in the moment, with the yoga asanas are thousands of years old backups that even today many Buddhists practice very complementary.

Confucianism and Daoism

In Confucianism and Taoism, as well as in Chinese philosophy, the wisdom has a great importance. In Confucianism and the Chinese philosophy is similar to humanity, respect and manners, one of the cardinal virtues. Therefore, Confucianism emphasizes the importance of education, learning and education. Daoism emphasizes living in harmony with nature and the cosmos (see also: Yin and Yang, Wu wei).

Wisdom and manner in fairy tales and myth

The wisdom encountered in fairy tales and myth, especially as the archetype of the wise old woman and a wise old man. Typical classic cases of wise women are about Frau Holle, but also those from the fairy tale The goose-girl at the well, The Mermaid by the pond or the devil's grandmother from The devil with the three golden hairs. Examples of these archetypes in modern popular culture would be about Galadriel or The Oracle, on the male side, for example, Gandalf the White (!) Or Master Yoda.

In some cultures, the wisdom is revered as a goddess own or as a feminine side of God. To know about the biblical Judaism Chokmah as divine wisdom. In Greek this is translated as Sophia and especially venerated in the Orthodox Churches (Hagia Sophia ).

Wisdom as a virtue

Wisdom in the Platonic sense is the knowledge of the real world who hold only the philosophers. These extend beyond the world of ideas and recognize that reality behaves differently than the "shadow" that hold the rest of mankind for the reality.

Aristotle says in his Metaphysics of the wisdom she was (I 1, 982 a 2 - 3 ) "knowledge of certain principles and causes. ". In the sixth book of the Nicomachean Ethics, he referred to the wisdom as an intellectual virtue or Dianoetic virtue, which refers to the immutable and necessary. He sees them as a combination of the two virtues mind science ( episteme ) and mind ( nous ).

In Hellenistic Judaism is wisdom to the central concept of relationship with God. The wisdom is on the one hand the way in which God acts in the world (Wisdom of Creation) and with whom he is talking to the people ( the wisdom of the Torah ). Wisdom on the other hand is towards the actual form of the grant of man to God, in religious knowledge of God and virtuous action. You can even be presented personified as female figure dancing in front of God.

In the Gnostic Gospel of Philip Sophia is the " companion" of Christ as his female counterpart. This intermediary function of Wisdom / Sophia was then more and more detached from the Logos, the ( in Greek ) male reason, as the personification or incarnation better then Jesus Christ is true.

Reception of ways

The reception of a (or a ) ways can be very different: If the way misunderstood, because the people do not open up the meaning of what he said or DONE, can the wise incomprehension, opposition and rejection, sometimes entgegenschlagen physical violence. The people lit the other hand, the meaning of what is said or a DONE, can the wise admiration and respect for his intellectual depth, his vision, his originality and unconventionality ( " maverick " ), may also be given courage to personal risk. Sometimes it takes decades or longer for the rejection turns into consent and the manner in public perception as recognized or rehabilitated applies.

Psychotherapy

Various forms of psychotherapy work with forms of wisdom as a means of psychotherapy, such as the existence analysis of Viktor Frankl or the wisdom therapy Michael Linden.