And understanding of long-term consequences, balance between personal interest and the common good, emphasis on purpose rather than pleasure, insight into the causes of things, and, as Aristotle said, knowledge of which goals are worth striving for.
It is interesting to consider where this sudden renewed interest in wisdom comes from. Ursula M. Staudinger, a German psychologist and professor of sociomedical sciences and psychology at Columbia University, believes that this is related to greater pluralism in society and the fact that a higher standard of living offers us more life possibilities. By the beginning of the 20th century, life was much simpler and we didn’t have as many choices. Today, we are faced with more possibilities in every aspect of life, and it is natural that we seek some form of guidance to make the right decisions.
At the same time, globalization has brought different cultures with very different value systems closer together, which means that traditional frameworks of life are being questioned and can no longer provide secure guidelines. One of the reactions to this increase in uncertainty and ambiguity is fundamentalism, an attempt to return to clear, black and white, and simple rules.
Another response to this same problem of our postmodern times is the search for wisdom, and one of its attributes is precisely the ability to consider different viewpoints and create synthesis.
Another aspect of our modern times is that with the increase in knowledge and technological capabilities, our power to act and the impact of our actions also increase to such an extent that we can now cause much more damage. Isaac Asimov once said that “the saddest aspect of present life is that science is accumulating knowledge faster than society is gathering wisdom”. Among people who agree with the idea that academic research should help humanity gain more wisdom.
On the society’s website, it says: “We need a revolution in the goals and methods of academic research. Instead of prioritizing the search for knowledge, we must dedicate ourselves to the search and promotion of wisdom through rational means; wisdom as the ability to understand what is valuable in life, for us and for others, a wisdom that includes knowledge but also much more than that. The fundamental task should be to help humanity learn how to create a better world. Acquiring scientific knowledge separated from the fundamental concern for wisdom, as is currently the case, is dangerous, harmful, and irrational.”