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Archetypes of Wisdom
Douglas J. Soccio
Chapter 1: Philosophy and the Search for
Wisdom
Philosophy
From Greek roots meaning “the love of
wisdom”
We sometimes use the term “philosophy” to
refer to a person’s code of values or the
beliefs by which they live
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 & 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.
And the psychologist Carl Jung (18751961) 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, and
6challenging the beliefs of others.
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”.
However, not only were there women in the
history of philosophy whose work went
unacknowledged, but many more women
are joining the ranks of professional
philosophy today.
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 one famous philosopher put it, “I do not know
how to teach philosophy without becoming a
disturber of the peace.” – Baruch Spinoza
The Goal of Wisdom
The chief goal of wisdom is a fundamental
understanding of reality as it relates to living a
good life.
By combining these – and even more – 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 things in the
attainment of wisdom is knowledge.
Philosophers generally think of knowledge
as some form of true belief.
And 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. But unlike
knowledge, beliefs need not actually be true.
There is also a difference between an informed belief and
“mere belief” – which is when the only evidence for the
belief is the act of believing itself. A mere belief is one
that tries to “validate itself”.
Ignorance is not an option.