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Chapter 13 - Wisdom in the Professions

from Part IV - Wisdom in the World

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2022

By
Barry Schwartz  and
Kenneth E. Sharpe
Edited by
Robert J. Sternberg  and
Judith Glück
Robert J. Sternberg
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
Judith Glück
Affiliation:
Universität Klagenfurt, Austria
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Summary

Aristotle, in Nicomachean Ethics, wrote of the importance of what he called practical wisdom (phronesis) as a key guide to human action. Practical wisdom is the will to do the right thing in a given situation, and the skill to figure out what the right thing is. This chapter discusses what practical wisdom is, and illustrates why it is needed for successful practice in almost all professions. Will is essential because it keeps professionals on track to pursue the proper aims of a profession (eg., healing the sick and easing suffering, in medicine), and skill is important because every situation is different and professionals need empathy, improvisation, good listening, imagination, and perspective taking to find the actions that each situation requires.

Keywords

practical wisdomphronesismoral skillmoral willtelosperspectivereflectiondeliberation
Type
Chapter
Information
The Psychology of Wisdom
An Introduction
 , pp. 211 - 229
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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