Wisdom

Abstract The kind of wisdom that is of concern in ethics is practical wisdom . Practical wisdom is the virtue that enables a person to deliberate and choose well. It is distinguished from theoretical wisdom (a virtue that might be credited to a good scientist), which has to do with knowledge of the world. Practical wisdom includes knowledge or understanding of the right goals (or “ends”) in human life and the reasoning abilities that allow the wise person to apply this knowledge to come to a decision about what to do ( see Practical Reasoning). On most views it also requires having appropriate emotional responses and possessing the capacity to conform one's actions to the results of reasoning. It is, therefore, a very demanding and wide‐ranging virtue. Practical wisdom (henceforth “wisdom”) is closely associated with a good life; the wise person is supposed to make choices that promote her flourishing ( see Eudaimonism; Happiness). The fact that wise people are wise about living is what makes wisdom so difficult to find and also what makes it so sought after in advisors, leaders, and friends.