Phronesis Explained

In ancient Greek philosophy, (grc|[[wikt:φρόνησις|φρόνησις]]|phrónēsis) refers to the type of wisdom or intelligence concerned with practical action. It implies good judgment and excellence of character and habits. In Aristotelian ethics, the concept is distinguished from other words for wisdom and intellectual virtues (such as and) because of its practical character.

Ancient Greek Philosophy

Socrates

In some of Socrates's dialogues, he proposes that is a necessary condition for all virtue, and that to be good is to be an intelligent or reasonable person with intelligent and reasonable thoughts.[1] In Plato's Meno, Socrates writes that is the most important attribute to learn, although it cannot be taught and is instead gained through the understanding of one's own self.[2]

Aristotle

In Aristotle's work, is the intellectual virtue that helps turn one's moral instincts into practical action.[3] He writes that moral virtues help any person to achieve the end, and that is what it takes to discover the means to gain that end. Without moral virtues, degenerates into an inability to make practical actions in regards to genuine goods for man.[4]

In the sixth book of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, he distinguished the concepts of (wisdom) and, and described the relationship between them and other intellectual virtues.[5] He writes that is a combination of, the ability to discern reality, and, things that "could not be otherwise". He then writes that involves not only the ability to decide how to reach a certain end, but the ability to reflect upon and determine "good ends" as well.

Aristotle also writes that although is higher and more serious than, the pursuit of wisdom and happiness requires both, as facilitates . According to Aristotle's theory of rhetoric, is one of the three types of appeals to character .[6]

Aristotle claims that gaining phronesis requires gaining experience, as he writes:

Modern Philosophy

According to philosophers Kristjánsson, Fowers, Darnell and Pollard, phronesis means making decisions in regards to moral events or circumstances. This four-component philosophical account became known as the Aristotelian Phronesis Model, or APM.[7] There is recent work to return the virtue of practical judgement to overcome disagreements and conflicts in the form of Aristotle's phronesis.[8]

In Social Sciences

In Alasdair MacIntyre's book After Virtue, he called for a phronetic social science. He writes that for every prediction made by social scientific theory there are usually counter-examples, meaning that the unpredictability of human beings and human life requires focus on practical experiences.

In psychologist Heiner Rindermann's book Cognitive Capitalism, he uses the term to describe a rational approach to thinking and acting, "a circumspect and thoughtful way of life in a rational manner".[9]

Critiques of the APM's empirical limitations led to McLoughlin, Thoma, and Kristjánsson developing the neo-Aristotelian Phronesis Model (neo-APM),[10] which refines the construct using contemporary psychometric techniques. This updated model empirically identified ten distinct components and employed network analysis to highlight the interconnectedness and centrality of key elements, such as aspired moral identity and moral deliberation. The neo-APM thus provides a more nuanced and empirically valid framework for understanding practical wisdom in psychological and educational contexts.

See also

Sources and further reading

Notes and References

  1. Book: Long, Christopher P.. The Ethics of Ontology: Rethinking an Aristotelian Legacy. registration. 123) . State University of New York Press. 2004. 0-7914-6119-X.
  2. Book: Gallagher, Shaun. 197–199. Hermeneutics and Education. Self-understanding and phronēsis. State University of New York Press. 1992. 0-7914-1175-3.
  3. Kristjansson . Kristján . Phronesis as an ideal in professional medical ethics: some preliminary positionings and problematics . Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics . 2015 . 36 . 5 . 299–320 . 10.1007/s11017-015-9338-4 . 26387119 . 254786871 . 5 October 2022. subscription .
  4. Book: MacIntyre . Alasdair . After Virtue . 1981 . University of Notre Dame Press . US: Indiana . 978-0-268-00611-2 . 154 . 2nd revised .
  5. Book: Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics.
  6. Book: Aristotle. Rhetoric. 1378a.
  7. Kristjánsso. Fowers. Darnell. Pollard . Kristján. Blaine. Catherine. David . Phronesis (Practical Wisdom) as a Type of Contextual Integrative Thinking . Review of General Psychology . 2021 . 25 . 3 . 239–257 . 10.1177/10892680211023063 . 237456851 . free .
  8. Beresford . E.B. . Can phronesis save the life of medical ethics? . Theoretical Medicine . 1996 . 17 . 3 . 209–224 . 10.1007/BF00489446 . 8952418 . 39100551 . subscription. 5 October 2022.
  9. Book: Rindermann, Heiner. Cognitive Capitalism: Human Capital and the Wellbeing of Nations. subscription. 2018. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-107-27933-9. 1st. 10.1017/9781107279339. 188.
  10. McLoughlin . Shane . Thoma . Stephen . Kristjánsson . Kristján . 2025-01-22 . Was Aristotle right about moral decision-making? Building a new empirical model of practical wisdom . PLoS One . en . 20 . 1 . e0317842 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0317842 . 1932-6203 . 11753716 . 39841702 . free.

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