Why Wisdom is More Important than Scientific Knowledge
Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 1:27 am
because if scientific knowledge is used unwisely, in time it is just the same as not having had the knowledge at all.
Discussion of the nature of Ultimate Reality and the path to Enlightenment
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You're just setting up a circular argument where each side tries to claim that the pure form of either side is more important because the impure form of either can, and frequently is, corrupted.because if scientific knowledge is used unwisely, in time it is just the same as not having had the knowledge at all.
Elizabeth Isabelle wrote:because if scientific knowledge is used unwisely, in time it is just the same as not having had the knowledge at all.
Strange question, strange answer.Dan Rowden wrote:How did you find that link?
No. Anti-philosophy, namely emotions, justifies their use.Science creates weapons and philosophy justifies their use.
I do not see the difference between what this statement points to and what my statement pointed to - which you called a circular argument.ChochemV2 wrote:If used correctly scientific knowledge and wisdom are both beneficial to society, however, both can be misused to amazingly destructive degrees.
Dan Rowden wrote:How did you find that link?
This is what I'm talking about. You're too emotionally attached to this ideal of philosophy that you glazed over my point completely.Jamesh wrote:No. Anti-philosophy, namely emotions, justifies their use.
You put one on a pedestal above the other, I pointed out that they are equally dangerous. Unless I'm mistaken you were saying scientific knowledge, when used incorrectly, has a tendency to destroy all knowledge so a great advancement could end up meaning nothing since it leads to our destruction. The inference there is that wisdom would still mean something in the long run or that it cannot be misapplied so it's inherently better scientific knowledge.Elizabeth Isabelle wrote:I do not see the difference between what this statement points to and what my statement pointed to - which you called a circular argument.
That does not sound like wisdom to me. If you really think about it, it is impossible to use wisdom unwisely (it would then cease to be wisdom). Ideals are not wisdom. Look at these two statements again.ChochemV2 wrote:As much as people kill each other with weapons we are quite good at killing each other over ideals.
ChochemV2 wrote:If used correctly scientific knowledge and wisdom are both beneficial to society, however, both can be misused to amazingly destructive degrees.
If wisdom is used unwisely, it ceases to be wisdom at all.Elizabeth Isabelle wrote:because if scientific knowledge is used unwisely, in time it is just the same as not having had the knowledge at all.
It's a product of wisdom. Just because a thought ceases being "wise" doesn't mean it's completely separated from it's intellectual roots.That does not sound like wisdom to me. If you really think about it, it is impossible to use wisdom unwisely (it would then cease to be wisdom). Ideals are not wisdom. Look at these two statements again.
Oddly enough, emotions also justify not using them. Or, at least, make up a good chunk of the justification. I've never been able to quite figure out what wisdom is supposed to be, but I suspect, from the context it tends to be used in, that it has something to do with saying catchy quotable phrases. That is quite useful and all, but it doesn't do much in the way of solving problems. We could ask if intelligence or knowledge is more important, but one is rather useless without the other.No. Anti-philosophy, namely emotions, justifies their use.
Well, it really isn't a fair comparison to begin with. A more apt comparison would be scientific knowledge and philosophic knowledge or something like that. Though I still think my replies are fairly accurate because a product of science can be abused with terrible results and a product of wisdom can also be abused in the same way.Expectantly Ironic wrote:Oddly enough, emotions also justify not using them. Or, at least, make up a good chunk of the justification. I've never been able to quite figure out what wisdom is supposed to be, but I suspect, from the context it tends to be used in, that it has something to do with saying catchy quotable phrases. That is quite useful and all, but it doesn't do much in the way of solving problems. We could ask if intelligence or knowledge is more important, but one is rather useless without the other.
Sounds like someone is fussy and needs a nap ;)I've never been able to quite figure out what wisdom is supposed to be, but I suspect, from the context it tends to be used in, that it has something to do with saying catchy quotable phrases. That is quite useful and all, but it doesn't do much in the way of solving problems.
That's right. It has always meant the best possible; the highest coalescence of what the human knows - even thinks one knows, for here, what is the difference? Wisdom has always been the word applied by humans to its highest thinking; it reserves this word for that, regardless of what shall be said to occupy that space.Wis[d]om has a lot to do with making judgements; deciding what is the right (or best) thing to do in a situation.