Archetypes of Wisdom
Douglas J. Soccio
Chapter 1
Philosophy and the Search for Wisdom
Learning Objectives
On completion of this chapter, you should be able to
answer the following questions:
What is philosophy?
What are the primary areas of philosophy?
What is an archetype?
How does an archetype differ from a stereotype?
What is wisdom?
What is knowledge?
What is belief?
Philosophy
Etymology: from Greek roots meaning, “the love of
wisdom.”
Philo (love).
Sophia (wisdom).
We sometimes, perhaps wrongly, use the term
“philosophy” to refer to a person’s code of values or the
beliefs by which they live (such as “Abby’s philosophy of
cooking”).
What is Philosophy?
Philosophers are especially interested in the arguments
(reasons) offered to support our ideas.
“Philosophy” proper consists of the systematic,
comprehensive study of certain questions that center on
meaning, interpretation, evaluation, and logical or rational
consistency.
Philosophical Questions
Philosophical thinking includes careful assessment of
terms, evaluation of logical reasoning, willingness to make
refined distinctions, and so forth.
But, what exactly are philosophical questions?
Examples of Philosophical
Questions
Does God exist?
What is the meaning of life?
Could a parent ever be morally justified in letting her child
starve to death?
Why do innocent people suffer?
Is it rational to believe something when all evidence is to
the contrary?
Is everything a matter of opinion?
Did philosophy originate in Africa, China, or Greece?
What is the best form of government?
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?
Do women and men think in different ways?
The Branches of Philosophy
Metaphysics – the study of “ultimate reality” or how things
really are.
Epistemology – the study of knowledge or how to tell
when we really know something.
Ethics – the study of moral problems, right and wrong, and
practical reasoning.
More Branches of Philosophy
Social and political philosophy – the study of the origins
and nature of the state.
Logic – the study of the rules of correct reasoning.
Aesthetics – the study of feelings and judgments related to
beauty and art.
Archetypes
An archetype is an image that all humans use to represent
the essential qualities of some “type,” the epitome of some
kind.
Archetypes have been around throughout history – in
myths, legends, and dreams.
Psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961) claimed that
archetypes are integral to how we think about things in
general.
Philosophical Archetypes
A philosophical archetype is a philosopher who expresses
an original or influential point of view, significantly
affecting subsequent thinkers.
Philosophical archetypes are strict advocates of a particular
philosophical worldview or philosophical method.
They challenge the beliefs of other philosophers.
Philosophical Archetypes
versus Stereotypes
Philosophical archetypes are powerful representations of a
fundamental response to universal experiences.
Archetypes exemplify essential ways of coping with
universal aspects of life (love, loss, society, wealth,
knowledge, purpose, suffering, death) in uncommonly pure
ways.
Stereotypes are simplistic distortions of a type of person
that lack depth.
Are Philosophers Always Men?
The history of Western philosophy contains mostly men,
leading to the charge that it is a study of “dead white
males.”
While there were many women in the history of
philosophy whose work went unacknowledged, today
many more women are joining the ranks of professional
philosophy.
The Search for Truth
Philosophy is perhaps the most “open” of all subjects,
since no question or point of view is off limits.
The history of philosophy has been described as “the
history of heresy,” since it challenges us to question even
our most cherished beliefs.
As the philosopher Baruch Spinoza put it, “I do not know
how to teach philosophy without becoming a disturber of
the peace.”
But Isn’t All This Just A Matter
of Opinion?
Sometimes it appears that there is no clear cut right or
wrong answer to philosophical questions and issues.
However, if we view philosophical problems as just a
matter of opinion, we may be (wrongly) led to adopt
relativism.
What is Relativism?
Relativism is the belief that knowledge is determined by
specific qualities of the observer.
In other words, absolute (universal) knowledge of the truth
is impossible – one opinion is as good as another.
The Goal of Wisdom
Remember: philosophy is a love of wisdom!
The chief goal of wisdom is a fundamental understanding
of reality in relation to living a good life.
The Goal of Wisdom
By combining these and other branches of philosophy, a
person may gain an understanding of how all knowledge is
related.
The attainment of wisdom involves reflection, insight,
learning from experience, and a plausible conception of the
human condition.
The Need for Knowledge
One of the most important elements in the attainment of
wisdom is knowledge.
Philosophers generally think of knowledge as some form
of true belief.
They usually make a distinction between theoretical and
practical knowledge.
Types of Knowledge
Theoretical knowledge involves accurate assessment of
factual and systematic information and relationships.
Practical knowledge consists of skills needed to do things
like play the piano, build things, perform surgery, ride a
bicycle, or bake a cake.
Belief and Ignorance
In contrast to knowledge, belief refers to the subjective
mental acceptance that a claim is true, though it need not
actually be true.
There is a difference between an informed belief and mere
belief, which tries to validate itself.
The only evidence for a mere belief is the act of believing
itself.
Willed Ignorance
If we hold onto a false belief regardless of the facts, we
become victim to willed ignorance.
Willed ignorance is indifference to the possibility of one’s
error or enlightenment.
This is the opposite of the love of wisdom.
Ignorance is not an option.
Discussion Questions
To what extent do you think an individual’s gender and
ethnic background should be considered in evaluating his
or her philosophical beliefs?
Do gender, ethnic background, and other factors (age,
income, etc.) control what we think?
Is your response to this question dependent on such
factors?
Chapter Review:
Key Concepts
Philosophy
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Ethics
Social and Political
Philosophy
Logic
Axiology
Aesthetics
Ontology
Archetype
Philosophical Archetype
Relativism
Wisdom
Knowledge
Theoretical/Practical
Knowledge
Belief
Mere Belief
Willed Ignorance