Aristotle's Conception of Wisdom

1
The
Aristotelian
Conception
of
Wisdom
A_
THE
BACKGROUND
1. The
Philosopher
a. Aristotle
(384--‐ 322
BCE)
2. The
Work

a. The
Nichomachean
Ethics
3. The
Subject
Matter
a. Wisdom
B_
THE
ARISTOTELIAN
CONCEPTION
OF
WISDOM
1. Faculties
of
the
Human
Soul

a. “Since
pure
science
or
scientific
knowledge
is
a
basic
conviction
concerning
universal
and
necessary
truths,
and
since
everything
demonstrable
and
all
pure
science
begins
from
fundamental
principles
(for
science
proceeds
rationally),
the
fundamental

principle
or
starting
point
for
scientific
knowledge
cannot
itself
be
the
object
either
of
science,
or
art,
or
of
practical
wisdom.”
NE
b. “Now,
if
scientific
knowledge,
practical
wisdom,
theoretical
wisdom,
and

intelligence
are
the
faculties
by
which
we
attain
truth
and
by
which
we
are
never
deceived
both
in
matters
which
can
and
in
those
matters
which
cannot
be
other
than
they
are;
and
if

three
of
these
–
I
am
referring
to
practical
wisdom,
scientific
knowledge,
and
theoretical
wisdom
–
cannot
be
the
faculty
in
question,
we
are
left
with
the
conclusion
that
it
is
intelligence
that

apprehends
fundamental
principles.”
2. The
Definition
of
Wisdom
a. W.
D.
Ross’s
Translation
Therefore
wisdom
must
plainly
be
the
most
finished
of
the
forms
of
knowledge.
It

follows
that
the
wise
man
must
not
only
know
what
follows
from
the
first
principles,
but
must
also
possess
truth
about
the
first
principles.
b. Martin
Ostwald’s
Translation
It

is,
therefore,
clear,
that
wisdom
must
be
the
most
precise
and
perfect
form
of
knowledge.
Consequently,
a
wise
man
must
not
only
know
what
follows
from
fundamental
principles,
but
he
must
also
have

true
knowledge
of
the
fundamental
principles
themselves.
2
3. Two
Kinds
of
Wisdom
a. Practical
Wisdom
(PW)
b. Theoretical
Wisdom
(TW)

4. Theoretical
Wisdom
a. “Accordingly,
theoretical
wisdom
must
comprise
both
intelligence
and
scientific
knowledge.
It
is
science
in
its
consummation,
as
it
were,
the
science
of
the
things
that
are
valued
most

highly.”
NE
VI.7
b. “Our
discussion
has
shown
that
theoretical
wisdom
comprises
both
scientific
knowledge
and
[apprehension
by
the]
intelligence
of
things
which
by
their
nature
are
valued
most
highly.
That
is
why

it
is
said
that
men
like
Anaxagoras
and
Thales
have
theoretical
wisdom
but
not
practical
wisdom:
when
we
see
that
they
do
not
know
what
is
advantageous
to
them,
we
admit
that
they

know
extraordinary,
wonderful,
difficult,
and
superhuman
things,
but
call
their
knowledge
useless
because
the
good
they
are
seeking
is
not
human.”
NE
VI.7
5. Practical
Wisdom
a. “We
may
approach

the
subject
of
practical
wisdom
by
studying
the
persons
to
whom
we
attribute
it.
Now,
the
capacity
of
deliberating
well
about
what
is
good
and
advantageous
for
oneself
is
regarded
as
typical

of
a
man
of
practical
wisdom
–
not
deliberating
well
about
what
is
good
and
advantageous
in
a
particular
sense,
for
example,
what
contributes
to
health
or
strength,
but
what
sort
of
thing

contributes
to
the
good
life
in
general.
This
is
shown
by
the
fact
that
we
speak
of
men
as
having
practical
wisdom
in
a
particular
respect,
i.e.,
not
in
an
unqualified
sense,
when
they

calculate
well
with
respect
to
some
worthwhile
end,
one
that
cannot
be
attained
by
an
applied
science
or
art.
It
follows
that,
in
general,
a
man
of
practical
wisdom
is
he
who
has

the
ability
to
deliberate.”
NE
VI.5
b. “What
remains,
then,
is
that
it
is
a
truthful
characteristic
of
acting
rationally
in
matters
good
and
bad
for
man.
For
production
has
an
end

other
than
itself,
but
action
does
not:
good
action
is
itself
an
end.
That
is
why
we
think
that
Pericles
and
men
like
him
have
practical
wisdom.
They
have
the
capacity
of
seeing
what

is
good
for
themselves
and
for
mankind,
and
these
are,
we
believe,
the
qualities
of
men
capable
of
managing
households
and
states.”
NE
VI.5
c. “Practical
wisdom,
on
the
other
hand,
is
concerned

with
human
affairs
and
with
matters
about
which
deliberation
is
possible.
As
we
have
said,
the
most
characteristic
function
of
a
man
of
practical
wisdom
is
to
deliberate
well:
no
one
deliberates
about

things
that
cannot
be
other
than
they
are,
nor
about
things
that
are
not
directed
to
some
end,
an
end
that
is
a
good
attainable
by
action.
In
an
unqualified
sense,
that
man

is
good
at
deliberating
who,
by
reasoning,
can
aim
at
and
hit
the
best
thing
attainable
to
man
by
action.”
NE
VI.7
3
d. “Nor
does
practical
wisdom
deal

only
with
universals.
It
must
also
be
familiar
with
particulars,
since
it
is
concerned
with
action
and
action
has
to
do
with
particulars.
This
explains
why
some
men
who
have
no
scientific
knowledge

are
more
adept
in
practical
matters,
especially
if
they
have
experience,
than
those
who
do
have
scientific
knowledge.
If
a
person
were
to
know
that
light
meat
is
easily
digested,
and
hence
wholesome,

but
did
not
know
what
sort
of
meat
is
light,
he
will
not
produce
health,
whereas
someone
who
knows
that
poultry
is
light
and
wholesome
is
more
like
to
produce
health.”
NE
VI.7

e. “Now,
practical
wisdom
is
concerned
with
action.
That
means
that
a
person
should
have
both
[knowledge
of
universals
and
knowledge
of
particulars]
or
knowledge
of
particulars
rather
[than
knowledge
of
universals].
But

here,
too,
it
seems,
there
is
a
supreme
and
comprehensive
science
involved
[i.e.,
politics].”
NE
VI.7
6. Theoretical
Wisdom
<>
Practical
Wisdom
“Theoretical
wisdom
[as
we
have
described

it]
will
study
none
of
the
things
that
make
a
man
happy,
for
it
is
not
at
all
concerned
with
the
sphere
of
coming--‐ to--‐ be
[but
only
with
unchanging
realities].
Practical
wisdom,
on
the

other
hand,
is
concerned
with
this
sphere,
but
for
what
purpose
do
we
need
it?
It
is
true
that
practical
wisdom
deals
with
what
is
just,
noble,
and
good
for
man;
and
it
is

doing
such
things
that
characterize
a
man
as
good.”
NE
VI.13
7. Other
Virtues
(the
icon
“<>”
means
“and”
+
“in
opposition
to”)
a. PW
is
not
“intelligence”
(but

related
to
PW.)
NE
VI.6
b. PW
is
not
“understanding”
(but
related
to
PW.)
NE
VI.10
c. PW
is
not
“good
sense”
(but
related
to
PW.)
NE
VI.11
d. PW
is
not
“cleverness”
(but
related
to

PW.)
NE
VI.13
C_
CRITICAL
RESPONSES
1. A
Re--‐ Classification
of
Wisdom
a. Theoretical
Wisdom
i. Scientific
Wisdom
ii. Philosophical
Wisdom
b. Practical

Wisdom
i. Political
Wisdom
ii. Military
Wisdom
iii. Business
Wisdom
iv. Existential
Wisdom
2. Practical
Wisdom<>Intelligence
Relationship
a. Intelligence
can
offer
the
mind
all
the
options
for
its
deliberation.
b. PW

can
help
the
mind
to
choose
the
right
end--‐ means
option.
Aristotle On Wisdom
Let it be assumed that the states by virtue of which the soul
possesses truth by way of affirmation or denial are five in
number, i.e. art, scientific knowledge, practical wisdom,
philosophic wisdom, intuitive reason; we do not include
judgement and opinion because in these we may be mistaken.
….
Regarding practical wisdom we shall get at the truth by
considering who are the persons we credit with it. Now it is
thought to be the mark of a man of practical wisdom to be able
to deliberate well about what is good and expedient for himself,
not in some particular respect, e. g. about what sorts of thing
conduce to health or to strength, but about what sorts of thing
conduce to the good life in general. This is shown by the fact
that we credit men with practical wisdom in some particular
respect when they have calculated well with a view to some
good end which is one of those that are not the object of any
art. It follows that in the general sense also the man who is
capable of deliberating has practical wisdom.
Practical wisdom, then, must be a reasoned and true state of
capacity to act with regard to human goods. But further, while

there is such a thing as excellence in art, there is no such thing
as excellence in practical wisdom; and in art he who errs
willingly is preferable, but in practical wisdom, as in the
virtues, he is the reverse. Plainly, then, practical wisdom is a
virtue and not an art.
…..
Therefore wisdom must plainly be the most finished of the
forms of knowledge. It follows that the wise man must not only
know what follows from the first principles, but must also
possess truth about the first principles. Therefore wisdom must
be intuitive reason combined with scientific knowledge –
scientific knowledge of the highest objects which has received
as it were its proper completion.
……
From what has been said it is plain, then, that philosophic
wisdom is scientific knowledge, combined with intuitive reason,
of the things that are highest by nature. This why we say
Anaxagoras, Thales, and men like them have philosophic but
not practical wisdom, when see them ignorant of what is to their
own advantage, and why we say that they know things that are
remarkable, admirable, difficult, and divine, but useless; viz.
because it is not human goods that the seek.
Practical wisdom on the other hand is concerned with
things human and things about which it is possible to deliberate;
for we say this is above all the work of the man of practical
wisdom, to deliberate well, but no one deliberates about things
invariable, nor about things which have not an end, and that a
good that can be brought about by action. The man who is
without qualification good at deliberating is the man who is
capable of aiming in accordance with calculation at the best for
man of things attainable by action. Nor is practical wisdom
concerned with universals only – it must also recognize the
particulars for it is practical and practice is concerned with
particulars.
Source: Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Book VI.1139-1141. In

The Basic Works of Aristotle. Edited Richard McKeon. New
York: Random House, 1941.
THE BASIC WRITING RULES (BWRs)
In this document, I shall list the five kinds of basic writing
rules (The Topic Rule > The Indentation Rules
> The Paragraph Length Rules > The PHIL 104 Language Rule
> The Eleven Steps of Academic Writing), “The Overall
Framework of the Philosophy Paper,” and “The Reasons for
Observing the Basic Writing Rules.”1 (Please read all the
footnotes.)
You are required to observe all the Basic Writing Rules (I-V)
for every course writing that you are to write in PHIL 104 (like
a writing exercise or a short essay or the Philosophy Paper).
I_ THE TOPIC RULE
Rule 1: Always copy the “topic” of any course writing
completely and exactly as it is originally given.
II_ THE INDENTATION RULES
Rule 1: Do not indent the first (opening) sentence of any of
your course writing whether there is or there is not a headline
preceding it.
Example: Liu (2003) on Modules.
Rule 2: Do not indent the opening sentence of the first
paragraph under a new headline.

Rule 3: Indent the opening sentence of each subsequent
paragraph under a new headline.2
Rule 4: Do not leave spaces between paragraphs that belong to
one sub-headline.
Notes: If you are still confused about or skeptical of these
indentation rules, you can examine currently published
scholarly books and download peer-reviewed articles (like Liu
2003) to see for yourself if these indentation rules and other
BWR are observed therein or not. If you do not know all the
BWR systemized herein, you are not up to date on the currently
practiced US methodology of academic writing<>non- academic
writing.
III_ THE PARAGRAPH LENGTH RULES FOR ALL KINDS
OF WRITING (ESSAY/PP/WE) Rule 1: Each paragraph must be
short (from 1 sentence to 5 short sentences).
Rule 2: Each paragraph must deal with one key point (not two)
and it should be clearly stated, well argued, and well supported.
Please read: “WR1.Sample WE1” and “WR.WE2” (folder THE
PHILOSOPHY PAPER) and my peer-reviewed article (“The
Laozi Code” (Google it or download it from King Databases).
IV_ THE PHILOSOPHY 104 LANGUAGE RULE
Any course writing that you write, like a Writing Exercise [WE]
or the Philosophy Paper (PP), must be written according to the
philosophy language that is appropriate to PHIL 104. The PHIL
104 language contains key concepts and how they should be
explained (like atman, brahman, dao, dharma, moksha,
emptiness, enlightenment, philosophic wisdom, practical
wisdom, monism, pluralism, dualism, enlightenment, etc.)
(

) (
1
)
V_ THE ELEVEN STEPS OF ACADEMIC WRITING
In addition to the “Rubric for the Philosophy Paper” and the
“Rosenberg Model” (Modules), you are required to also observe
the following Eleven Steps of Academic Writing (ESW) for
every course writing you shall undertake (like a Writing
Exercise or the Philosophy Paper).
THE INTRO
1) Step 1: Write one “introductory sentence” (IS).
State what you are going to do in your written work.
Note: Step 1 and Step 2 can alternate.
2) Step 2: Write one “topic sentence” (TS [also called “thesis
statement”]).
Make a key point or a claim about the topic.
Note: Step 1 and Step 2 can alternate.
3) Step 3: Write one “purpose sentence” (PS) or sufficient
purpose sentences
State the purposes that you wish to accomplish in your written
work.
4) Step 4: Write one “methodological sentence” (MS) or
sufficient methodological sentences Indicate the research
sources you plan to use by listing the titles with the authors and
the publication years. For example: “The Practice of Jen”
(Chong 1999).
THE BODY

5) Step 5: Write sufficient “expositional sentences” (ESs)3
for the Exposition.
Explain and argue for your position (“topic sentence”) with
supporting evidence. The number of ESs depends on the kind of
a written work.
6) Step 6: Write one “transitional sentence” before a new
part/section/paragraph of your work.
Tell your reader what you are going to do when you start a new
part/section.
7) Step 7: Write sufficient “evaluative sentences” (ESs) for
the Evaluation.
State what you like or dislike about the main issue of the topic
and the reason(s) why make your evaluation.
8) Step 8: Write sufficient “critique sentences” (CSs) for the
Critique.
Make at least one major objection to the main issue of the topic
for your critique. The number of CSs depends on the issue.
9) Step 9: Write sufficient “resolution sentences” (RSs) for
the Resolution.
Offer a resolution of the problem you have critiqued.
The actual number of resolution sentences depends on the topic.
Notes: Steps 5-9 should be structured to form the four main
components of the Body of your RP: The Exposition <> The
Evaluation <> The Critique <> The Resolution.
THE CONCLUSION
10) Step 10: Write sufficient “concluding sentences.”
Summarize or evaluate or reflect on or apply the key point of
your written work.

THE DOCUMENTATION
11) Step 11: Make a proper documentation of the research
source(s) you use.
Use the bibliographical type Works Cited and list the research
source(s) you actually use according to the academic style that
you are familiar with (APA or CMS or MLA). Use Purdue OWL
resource @ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
VI_ THE OVERALL FRAMEWORK OF THE PHILOSOPHY
PAPER
All the four components of the PP
(Intro<>Body<>Conclusion<>Documentation) and the ten steps
of the
PP can be re-organized into the overall framework of the PP as
follows: A_ THE INTRO
1) The introductory sentence
2) The topic sentence
3) The purpose sentence
4) The methodological sentence
B_ THE BODY
1) The Exposition (background <> argument <> support <>
evidence)
2) The Evaluation (explanation of what you find acceptable or
valuable)
3) The Critique (explanation of your main objection)
4) The Resolution (how you resolve what you have critiqued)
B_ CONCLUSION
1) Write a short summary or
2) Write a short reflection or
3) Raise a new question for further thinking or
4) Propose a practical application of the most important idea
C_ DOCUMENTATION

1) In-text notes [following a sentence or paragraph (Liu 2003:
234 or Phan 2007)]
2) Endnotes [called Notes in Liu (2003: 247)]
3) Works Cited (cite only the sources you use in your work
according to APA or MLA style)
VII_ THE REASONS FOR OBSERVING ALL THE BASIC
WRITING RULES
Some of you might have wondered why you are required to
observe the BWRs (Basic Writing Rules). One reason is that I
am required to satisfy one of the GE assessment requirements.
Another reason is that the BWRs have been practiced in the US
academic world. All I have done is to have simply systemized
them.
If you wish to know the truth of what I just stated, first, check
the Liu article (2003) whether the basic writing rules (I-V) are
observed therein, second, download some peer-reviewed articles
or scholarly articles published in peer-reviewed/scholarly
journals, examine currently published books, and check out
whether or not they were written according to the listed BWR
(I-V).
You can also request the basic rubrics of academic writing from
American elementary and high schools in San Jose to know the
current US academic writing methodology that elementary and
high school students are supposed to learn and practice.
Every piece of academic writing (a writing exercise or an essay
or a philosophy paper) has two main aspects, its organizational
forms, and its ideational contents. That which gives any written
work its external organizational forms is the basic writing rules
(BWRs) by which its internal ideational contents are expressed
and made manifest.
1An Assessment Question for each student to answer:

What type of sentence is this opening sentence according to the
BWR?
The answer: An introductory sentence.
2This indentation rule still applies if there is no main headline
or no sub-headline.
3Expositional sentences consist of explanatory sentences
(background information<>definitions),
argumentative sentences (arguments), and supportive sentences
(proofs).

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