Wisdom

This book is an investigation of wisdom in its diverse nature and types. Wisdom may be as everyday as folk adages or as arcane as a religious parable. In one form it is highly practical, and in another it addresses what is fundamentally real. In another form it is moral wisdom, and when it is psychological wisdom it can inform wise judgment. It can be philosophical, and it can be religious. And in one form it is mystical wisdom. These types of wisdom are essentially different, even when they overlap. Often wisdom is proffered in wise sayings—such as proverbs, aphorisms, or maxims—but one form, mystical wisdom, defies articulation.In this book all these types of wisdom will be presented, drawing upon a diversity of sources, and critically examined. Offered wisdom carries in its train a number of issues, not the least of which is how to distinguish between true wisdom and pseudo-wisdom.Also it may be asked of wisdom, when it is true, whether it is true relativistically, varying with culture, or true universally. Many types of wisdom have their origin in antiquity, but can there be new forms of wisdom? Does wisdom, as contemporary philosophers have maintained, have an underlying universal nature? This book addresses these issues and others.

Kellenberger takes us on an entertaining and informed tour of the various concepts of wisdom expressed in a variety of religious and non-religious traditions. Replete with examples, it is a rich source-book for any discussion of wisdom today. Highly recommended., In a world full of books purporting to tell us what wisdom is, this clear, precise, thorough and thought provoking book should be read by anyone who has a serious interest in the nature of wisdom. Drawing on a wide range of thinkers from Aristotle to Nietzsche, from Christian mystics and the Zohar to Robert Nozick and the Buddhist Tich Nhat Hanh, and with practical and theoretical approaches in equal measure, Kellenberger skillfully weaves a nuanced tapestry of the varieties and varied shades of wisdom. In contrast with facile notions of wisdom, this impressive book demonstrates Bertrand Russell’s maxim that the value of philosophy is to suggest “possibilities which enlarge our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom.”

James Kellenberger is professor of philosophy emeritus at California State University, Northridge.