Phronesis

Phronesis is often translated as "practical wisdom".
The Greek word was used by Aristotle. He wrote about three kinds of knowledge; episteme, techne and phronesis.
In brief the words stands respective for scientific, practical and political/ethical knowledge.

We all know what scientific knowledge or episteme stands for:  Exact knowledge, facts, evidence, theories and experiments to give proof. Math is an example.

Techne stands for silent knowledge, it's knowledge of the body, like bicycling, playing soccer, swimming, baking, carpentry and so on. To some degree you can use a manual, but you anyway have to exercise until the knowledge is "in your body".

For me, phronesis is the most interesting kind of knowledge. It is often described as practical wisdom. Wisdom is not exactly the wright word, as it not theoretical knowledge, you cannot read and get it. You have to live it to learn it, partly from mistakes, I guess.
Aristotle names as a virtue: arete.
It is learned by experience and is concerned with particular situations. You can learn the principles of action but to practice them in the real word requires experience.

So in ethical and political questions you need experience and virtue and probably restraint. You cannot demand an exact answer, as in mathematics.   As it is written in the portal to the  Apollo temple in Delphi - "Nothing to excess".

And here the old Greek philosophy comes near  the Buddhist "middle way".



For me, the middle way means that I am interested in Buddhist philosophy and that I practice mindfulness in some degree. But I will never be a fanatic practice or a Buddhist.  But Buddhist philosophy is now a part of me. And that is in line with Aristotle's suggestion; try to reach your full potential. And Aristotle suggested this for all of us; try to be as much yourself as you can.
Because both you and me are unique beings... The world would lose some of it's richness and diversity if not we were here...
1. "NOTHING IN EXCESS" - A3 Poster / 11.7"x16.5" (297x420 mm) / Wall Art / Art Print / Ancient Greek Philosophy / Quote

Here you can buy this poster and in the same time help the people in Greece that have a hard time right now...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/113992442/1-nothing-in-excess-a3-poster-117x165









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cora Diamond on eating animals - with the help of Wittgenstein´s ideas

Image
Cora Diamond is a new name for me, even if she has worked as a professor in Philosophy in the states for a long time and is still  teaching at the university of Virginia, even she is over 80 years old. She has written a lot about Wittgenstein and that has helped her to express her view of the topic. Although she, like Wittgenstein,  has lived in a hut in Norway - and actually brought Tractatus with hes - she seems to be different and for sure more glad than W. Anyways, its W: s writings that interests her and especially his critics of metaphysics and ethics in philosophy. As it is said in Tractacus  : " Whereof one  cannot speak , thereof one must be silent." And of ethics philosophy should not speak - why? Is it like in Buddhism - its better to sit in silence and let know yourself, than to speculate about what will happen when we die? But for sure there ethical guidelines in Buddhism,  but the behaviors is often named skilful, not good (or bad). Another
Read more

I think, therefore I am NOT

Image
So Descartes was wrong. He said that he could doubt everything about himself except that he was thinking. That proved that he existed. The word "I" is the central point here. What does it mean? Perhaps we are sure that we know the answer. Is it the thoughts? In that case - where are you when you aren't thinking? Is it your job, your title? In that case - what happens if you loose your job or change job? Is it your house, your nation? Under my course to be a mindfulness instructor, the teacher, Ola Schenström, made us ask to each other; "Who are you?" After each answer the question was repeated by the questioner.We soon discovered that there were no end to the answers - or maybe an adequate end could be; "I don't know."Or maybe; "It seems I have no essence." Other thinkers have come to the same conclusions; Buddha, Sartre and more recently Damasio and Parfit. Sartre, for instance, has said that we are the sum of our actions. We ha
Read more

Wittgenstein and Buddha -buddies?

Image
Ludwig Wittgenstein, the famous philosopher, reflected in the posthumously published  book "Philosophical Investigations" about the picture above; Is it a hare or duck?  He meant that we make, or must make, a statement what it is. And I suppose he meant that we often or always has to interpret the world around us. But two different interpretations can both be right! Language and thoughts controls what we see.....   You can compare with the picture of a glass. Half empty or half empty?  Who decides? Yes, it's you... And whatever you say is right.  But you can be aware of what you think. That can say more of yourself than of the glass....  You can be aware of that you always do interpretations of things that happens.  If you have a pessimistic or a naive point of view, you can be aware of the view and your statements.  Buddha and Wittgenstein were both aware of that different persons uses different perspectives.  But Buddha spoke about the "right 
Read more