The Power of Wisdom
The virtue that runs through all the rest
Introduction to June’s Theme
“The elements move upward, downward, in all directions. The motion of virtue is different - deeper. It moves at a steady pace on a road hard to discern, and always forward.”
Marcus Aurelius
Meditations 6.17
What does it mean to live a good life? What is a moral individual? And how do we remain ambitious while being a good person?
These are ephemeral questions people have struggled with for thousands of years dating back to the time of Socrates. In fact, as far as we are aware, Socrates was the first to ask what it meant to live a “good life” and how one find’s happiness in their every day existence.
We live during a time of rapid advancement, perhaps more rapid than any other time in history. Everything is at our fingertips, literally. We can order anything imaginable from Amazon, or have food at our door in less than an hour. Don’t have a car and need to go somewhere? Uber or Lyft is just a few clicks away and a car will appear to pick you up.
These are all amazing feats for civilization. But they also pose a dilemma: when we’re given everything we need, how do we live a good life? When around every corner we can easily fall into laziness? Into glutton or greed? How do we build a strong moral character during times like these?
The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius likewise struggled with the same very questions. He was the most powerful man in the world who could’ve had anything he wanted, who could’ve used his authority for personal gain. Instead, he constantly worked to practice virtue, to train his character, to be a good person.
For the month of June, we explore the theme of virtue. Aristotle believed there were 11 virtues that, when in harmony with one another, helped the individual achieve eudaimonia, or human flourisment.
The ancient Stoics likewise believed that the pursuit of virtue guided an individual to flourishment, but unlike Aristotle, they believed in what is often referenced as the Four Cardinal Virtues: Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Temperance. When one was able to act in a manner driven by these four virtues, the Stoics believed the individual had everything they needed for the “good life.” These virtues formed the backbone of what it meant to have good character, to be able to take on the world and the adversities it held.
For the month of June, we will be exploring the Four Cardinal Virtues the Stoics held core to their teachings, and we start with the one that permeates all the rest: Wisdom.
This Week at a Glance:
This week we kick off our exploration of the Four Cardinal Virtues with a dive into what the Stoics thought of wisdom. Wisdom, perhaps more than any other virtue, helps dictate how we show up in the world.
By the time you finish this meditation, you’ll learn:
🍭 What the Stoics believed wisdom was;
🍬 What the Stoics saw as good, bad, and indifferent;
🍫 How practical wisdom influences our actions and experiences.
“There is nothing the foolish person has a use for--since he does not know how to use things--and yet he lacks everything.”
Chryssipus
In Plato’s Apology, Socrates, who is standing trial for impiety and corrupting the youth of Athens, is said to have muttered, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
In Stoic philosophy, and especially in Stoic ethics, one must continually examine themselves and their situations in order to properly apply wisdom to the scenario at hand.
For the Stoics, they held wisdom in the highest regard because it is through wisdom that our reasoning abilities, the characteristic of ourselves that separates us from all other creatures, is put to the test.
The Stoics separated wisdom into the three categories: good, bad, and indifferent. As Epictetus taught his students:
“That of things some are good, and some are bad, and some are indifferent: the good then are virtues, and the things which participate in virtues; and the bad are the contrary; and the indifferent are wealth, health, reputation.”
For the Stoic, each action is processed through these categories to determine proper action for the situation at hand.
“There is no proof of greatness so sure as when nothing that can occur can provoke you...” Seneca once wrote to his brother. “the lofty mind, ever calm, situated in a tranquil resting place, keeping down below itself all things that anger it, is moderate and reverend and well ordered.”
When one knows how to properly approach the world, when one knows what is good, bad or indifferent, then they no longer can be provoked. Seneca is referencing the ability to live a virtuous existence, to have wisdom guide our actions and emotions so as to keep us from needing to react to external forces.
Living in accordance with wisdom, with good decision-making, is the key to living a flourishing existence because one holds the ability to discern what is good from what is bad and tailor their pursuits and desires to this guiding knowledge.
You see within the Meditations just how important it is to use wisdom as Marcus Aurelius is constantly reminding himself of the highest good and what path he should take.
“It would be wrong for anything to stand between you and attaining goodness -- as a rational being and a citizen. Anything at all: the applause of the crowd, high office, wealth, or self-indulgence. All of them might seem to be compatible with it -- for a while. But suddenly they control us and sweep us away. So make your choice straightforwardly, once and for all, and stick to it. Choose what's best -- Best is what benefits me. As a rational being? Then follow through. Or just as an animal? Then say so and stand your ground without making a show of it. (Just make sure you've done your homework first).”
The Stoics believed in practical wisdom, meaning finding the right solution to the problem at hand. They viewed humans as being superior to all other creatures because of their ability to use reason. Rationality, therefore, plays a critical role in every situation we face.
In other words, an individual who is properly attuned to wisdom in the Stoic sense is one who understands what an appropriate action is given the situation at hand.
Practical wisdom is our ability translate our aims into action and this requires experience and expertise according to Barry Schwartz and Kenneth Sharpe.
“Practical wisdom is akin to the kind of skill that a craftsman needs to build a boat or a house, or that a jazz musician needs to improvise.”
But as Schwartz and Sharpe explain, practical wisdom is not so much a skill in the “technical” sense. Rather, it is a moral skill, one that assists us in deciding what is right and proper, what is moral for each situation we encounter. It is, as they say, a social skill.
“Skill without will—without the desire to achieve the proper aims of an activity--can lead to ruthless manipulation of others, to serve one's own interests, not theirs. And will without skill can lead to ineffectual fumbling around--the sort of thing we see in people who "mean well" but leave situations in worse shape than they found them.”
Wisdom is critical to living the good life because it dictates how we should be encountering the world. Wisdom interacts with each and every action we hold, and from it, dictates how we approach the other cardinal virtues. Wisdom, especially practical wisdom, is about how we want to show up in the world, how we want to interact with it, and how we make proper decisions.
3-Bullet Summary:
Wisdom is our ability to properly judge in each situation we encounter how we should proceed;
The Stoics believed in undertaking actions based upon a judgment of the action, such as whether it was good, bad, or indifferent;
In order to properly encounter the world, we need to first and foremost hold practical wisdom, an understanding of what each situation requires and approach it in accordance to its specific needs.
Until next time,
D.A. DiGerolamo
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