KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM by Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
• A British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, social reformer, socialist and pacifist.
• Russell led the British "revolt against idealism" in the early 1900s and is considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy. He was a prominent anti-war activist, championing free trade between
nations and anti-imperialism.
Knowing a tomato is a fruit is KNOWLEDGE…. Knowing not to put it in a fruit salad is WISDOM
What is the difference between a clever man and a wise man? And how can one become wise?
A wise person possesses both insight and foresight while a clever person may not necessarily do so. A clever person can seize the here and now, but a wise person can go beyond that. A clever man responds to the exterior changes quickly, but a wise man can penetrate the changes and make the right decision. It takes a broad vision and an unbiased mind to make one wise, and one can gain a lot of wisdom through constant thinking and experiencing.
This text is an argumentation. Russell holds that several factors contribute to wisdom. A wise man has comprehensive vision, who is capable of taking into account all the important aspects of problem and gives due weight to each of them. In addition, a wise man is aware of the end of his life.
It is considered unwise to pursue an end if it is impossible of achievement. Russell also points out that one factor of wisdom is emancipation, as far as possible, from your personal prejudice.
As your thoughts and feelings become less personal, you may gain wisdom.
Q.1. What message does the writer try to convey with the example of technicians? (para 2)
The writer tries to tell us knowledge itself cannot save the world. Knowledge without wisdom will not benefit the world and in some cases will even pose a serious threat to humanity. So a wise person has to have a comprehensive view.
Q.2. How can wisdom help one in his/her pursuit of a life-long career? (para 4)
Wisdom can help one in his choice of a lifelong pursuit. When one has to make a major career decision, he has to consider whether it is possible to achieve what he aims at. If it is too high to be achieved, he should learn to give it up and turn to an attainable goal.
Q.3. What, according to Russell, is the essence of wisdom? And how can one acquire the very essence?
According to Russell, the essence of wisdom lies in impartiality, the ability to defy the physical world.
Russell believes the process of growing wise is that of tearing oneself away from the physical and emotional worlds and moving into a higher stage, the spiritual world.
The first paragraph serves as an introduction.
The author introduces the topic about the correlation between knowledge and wisdom.
Paragraph 1
Most people believe that knowledge is not equal to wisdom as history has suggested that the acquisition of knowledge does not necessarily lead to the increase of wisdom. He states the purposes of the
writing, making it clear that he would like to discuss what contributes to wisdom and how to teach wisdom.
Paragraph 2
This part is the main body of the essay. The four paragraphs tell us what wisdom is.
What factors contribute to wisdom according to Russell?
Russell holds that these factors contribute to wisdom: a sense of proportion, an awareness of the ends of human life and emancipation from personal prejudice.
What does "sense of proportion" mean?
The writer explains what "sense of proportion" means ― the ability to take account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach to each its due weight, or the comprehensive view of the
situation of a problem. In other words, it refers to the ability to get a comprehensive view of a problem, and in the meantime, note which aspect is more important and which is less.
Is it easy to get a right sense of proportion?
No. It has become more difficult than it used to be owing to the extent and complexity of the specialized knowledge required of various kinds of technicians.
What has become of the specialized knowledge? Why has it become more difficult for technicians to obtain a sense of proportion? How many examples does Russell provide to support his idea about the importance of “a sense of proportion?
Two. One is about a research in scientific medicine. The other is a study on the composition of the atom.
As human knowledge becomes more and more extensive and specialized, one who is engrossed in the study of his specific field may fail to foresee the outcome of the knowledge he is pursuing. (L 7, para 2)
In Para. 2 Russell stresses the importance of comprehensiveness. Why is comprehensiveness an important factor that constitutes wisdom?
As human knowledge becomes more and more extensive and specialized, one who is engrossed in the study of his specific field may fail to foresee the outcome of the knowledge he is pursuing. That’s why Russell stresses the importance of comprehensiveness.
What does "the ends of human life" refer to? It refers to the goals of human life.
Many eminent historians have done more harm than good ... (L2, Para.3)
What many eminent historians have done is more damaging than help…
Why is wisdom needed when we choose the end we want to pursue?
We should be wise enough to realize that some ends are not attainable inherently even though they may be noble. So to consider the feasibility of the noble ideas is important.
I think the essence of wisdom is to free oneself from the confinement of the physical world and the emotional world and look beyond.
What does “tyranny of the here and now” mean?
The writer suggests that people cannot avoid being partial. The difference between a wise man and an unwise man is the former has a lesser degree of partiality. As one becomes more impartial, his wisdom grows
It is possible to become increasingly impartial by gaining knowledge about the history and the future, and about other parts of the world, and by showing due respect and interest to different things.
SUMMARY
Knowledge and wisdom are different things. According to Russell, knowledge is defined as the acquisition of data and information, while wisdom is defined as the practical application and use of the knowledge to create value. Wisdom is gained through learning and practical experience, not just memorization. Knowledge and Wisdom defines the various ways of achieving Wisdom. He laments that though vast knowledge has been acquired; there has been no corresponding increase in wisdom. Russell defines wisdom by telling us about things which contribute to wisdom.
The first is a sense of proportion. It is the capacity to consider all important factors in a problem carefully. Specialization makes it difficult. For example scientists discover new medicines but they do not know what impact these medicines will have on the life of the people. The medicines may reduce the infant death rate. But it may lead to increased population. In poor countries it may lead to shortage of food. If there are more people, it may lower the standard of life. The knowledge of the composition of the atom could be misused by a lunatic to destroy the world. If misused, knowledge of atom can lead human to destruction by manufacturing nuclear weapon.
Knowledge without wisdom can be harmful. It should be combined with the total needs of mankind. Even complete knowledge is not enough. It should be related with certain knowledge of the purpose of life. The study of history can illustrate it. For example Hegel wrote with great knowledge about history, but made the Germans believe that they were a master race. It led to war. It is necessary therefore to combine knowledge with feelings. Men who have knowledge and have no feelings lack wisdom. We need wisdom both in public and private life. We need wisdom to decide the goal of our life. We need it to free ourselves from personal prejudices. We may follow even a novel thing unwisely if it is too big to achieve. Man may attempt to achieve the impossible, he may do harm to himself in the process.
In personal life, says Russell, wisdom is needed to avoid dislike for one another. Two persons may remain enemies because of their prejudice. One may dislike the other for imaginary faults. If they can be told that we all have flaws (faults) then they may become friends. We can avoid hatred if we are wise. Wisdom lies in freeing ourselves from the control of our sense organs. Our ego develops through our senses. We cannot be free from the sense of sight, sound and touch. We know the world primarily through our senses. As we grow we discover that there are other things also. We start recognizing them. Thus we give up thinking of ourselves alone. We start thinking of other people and grow wiser. We give up on our ego. It is difficult to completely get rid of selfishness, but we can think of things beyond our immediate surroundings. Wisdom comes when we start loving others.
Russell feels that wisdom can be taught as a goal of education. The message in the parable of the Good Samaritan is that we should love our neighbour whether friend or foe. Many a time we miss the message in this parable (story/fable)because we fail to love those who cause harm to the society. In brief Russell tells us not to hate anybody. The author draws out examples from the history of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry IV and Abraham Lincoln, who were free from the errors committed by other eminent people in the past.
The danger of hatred and narrow-mindedness can be pointed out in the course of giving knowledge. Russell feels knowledge and wisdom can be combined in the scheme of education. People should be educated to see things in relation to other things of the world. They should be encouraged to think of themselves as world citizens.