The purpose of this article is to describe the chracteristics fo Aristotle's practical wisdom. Even the study onAristotle has been mainly conducted in politics, and, in ethics, only has been put the notes in the view of intellectualism. This article h...
The purpose of this article is to describe the chracteristics fo Aristotle's practical wisdom. Even the study onAristotle has been mainly conducted in politics, and, in ethics, only has been put the notes in the view of intellectualism. This article holds intellectualistic view and, at the same tiem, studies the phronesis which treats praxis and action of the human life.
According the Aristotle, the supreme good man persues is happiness, shich is achieved by virtue. Virtue means the excellence of capability of faculty. Especially virtue in man is activated by spiritual faculty.
Virtue cna not reside in the spectation, and also it does not come as a gift of the gods. It acqired through learning and habituation. Virtue can be seperated into intellectual aand moral prats, and again intellectual virtue cna be seperated itno philosophic (or contemplative) wisdom and phrondesis ( or practical wisdom).
Practical wisdom may be summanized simply as wisdom about means, good judgements about what is to be done, combined with the capability to act. Even Aristotle acknowledges the superiority and nobleness of philosophic wisdom in his intellctualaistic view, never vies up the importance of the role fo phronesis and thepolitical life as his contemporaries did.
He tried to sythesize the theory and practice, and also theoretical life and practical life through practical wisdom.
As the time goes on, Aristotle's study on phronesis is inclined to be forgotten. Phronesis comebacks with the concept of praxis by Hegel in these days. It still remains the problem concerning about the itnerpretation of it in view point of self-realizaiton and human emancipation.