From Knowledge to Wisdom: Assessment and Prospects after Three Decades

We are in a state of impending crisis. And the fault lies in part with academia. For two centuries or so, academia has been devoted to the pursuit of knowledge and technological know-how. This has enormously increased our power to act which has, in turn, brought us both all the great benefits of the...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Nicholas Maxwell
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: ARINA, Inc. 2013-06-01
Series:Integral Review
Subjects:
Online Access:http://integral-review.org/pdf-template-issue.php?pdfName=vol_9_no_2_maxwell_from_knowledge_to_wisdom.pdf
id doaj-59ea6ae64c5140a29e109659fb6570fe
record_format Article
spelling doaj-59ea6ae64c5140a29e109659fb6570fe2020-11-24T21:25:17ZdeuARINA, Inc.Integral Review1553-30691553-30692013-06-019276112From Knowledge to Wisdom: Assessment and Prospects after Three DecadesNicholas MaxwellWe are in a state of impending crisis. And the fault lies in part with academia. For two centuries or so, academia has been devoted to the pursuit of knowledge and technological know-how. This has enormously increased our power to act which has, in turn, brought us both all the great benefits of the modern world and the crises we now face. Modern science and technology have made possible modern industry and agriculture, the explosive growth of the world’s population, global warming, modern armaments and the lethal character of modern warfare, destruction of natural habitats and rapid extinction of species, immense inequalities of wealth and power across the globe, pollution of earth, sea and air, even the aids epidemic (aids being spread by modern travel). All these global problems have arisen because some of us have acquired unprecedented powers to act without acquiring the capacity to act wisely. We urgently need to bring about a revolution in universities so that the basic intellectual aim becomes, not knowledge merely, but rather wisdom – wisdom being the capacity to realize what is of value in life, for oneself and others, thus including knowledge and technological know-how, but much else besides. This is an argument I have propounded during the last three decades in six books, over thirty papers, and countless lectures delivered in universities and conferences all over the UK, Europe and north America. Despite all this effort, the argument has, by and large, been ignored. What is really surprising is that philosophers have paid no attention, despite the fact that that this body of work claims to solve the profoundly important philosophical problem: What kind of inquiry best helps us make progress towards as good a world as possible? There are, nevertheless, indications that some scientists and university administrators are beginning to become aware of the urgent need for science, and universities, to change. This is prompted, partly by growing awareness of the seriousness of environmental problems, especially global warming, and partly by a concern to improve the relationship between science and the public. So far, however, these changes have been small-scale, scattered and piecemeal. What we require is for academics and non-academics alike to wake up to the urgent need for change so that we may come to possess what we so strikingly and disastrously lack at present: a kind of inquiry rationally devoted to helping humanity make progress towards as good a world as possible.http://integral-review.org/pdf-template-issue.php?pdfName=vol_9_no_2_maxwell_from_knowledge_to_wisdom.pdfEducationpoliticsscienceNicholas MaxwellAcademic revolutionenlightenmentglobal problemshumanitiesknowledge-inquiryreasonsocial inquirywisdom-inquiry.
collection DOAJ
language deu
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Nicholas Maxwell
spellingShingle Nicholas Maxwell
From Knowledge to Wisdom: Assessment and Prospects after Three Decades
Integral Review
Education
politics
science
Nicholas Maxwell
Academic revolution
enlightenment
global problems
humanities
knowledge-inquiry
reason
social inquiry
wisdom-inquiry.
author_facet Nicholas Maxwell
author_sort Nicholas Maxwell
title From Knowledge to Wisdom: Assessment and Prospects after Three Decades
title_short From Knowledge to Wisdom: Assessment and Prospects after Three Decades
title_full From Knowledge to Wisdom: Assessment and Prospects after Three Decades
title_fullStr From Knowledge to Wisdom: Assessment and Prospects after Three Decades
title_full_unstemmed From Knowledge to Wisdom: Assessment and Prospects after Three Decades
title_sort from knowledge to wisdom: assessment and prospects after three decades
publisher ARINA, Inc.
series Integral Review
issn 1553-3069
1553-3069
publishDate 2013-06-01
description We are in a state of impending crisis. And the fault lies in part with academia. For two centuries or so, academia has been devoted to the pursuit of knowledge and technological know-how. This has enormously increased our power to act which has, in turn, brought us both all the great benefits of the modern world and the crises we now face. Modern science and technology have made possible modern industry and agriculture, the explosive growth of the world’s population, global warming, modern armaments and the lethal character of modern warfare, destruction of natural habitats and rapid extinction of species, immense inequalities of wealth and power across the globe, pollution of earth, sea and air, even the aids epidemic (aids being spread by modern travel). All these global problems have arisen because some of us have acquired unprecedented powers to act without acquiring the capacity to act wisely. We urgently need to bring about a revolution in universities so that the basic intellectual aim becomes, not knowledge merely, but rather wisdom – wisdom being the capacity to realize what is of value in life, for oneself and others, thus including knowledge and technological know-how, but much else besides. This is an argument I have propounded during the last three decades in six books, over thirty papers, and countless lectures delivered in universities and conferences all over the UK, Europe and north America. Despite all this effort, the argument has, by and large, been ignored. What is really surprising is that philosophers have paid no attention, despite the fact that that this body of work claims to solve the profoundly important philosophical problem: What kind of inquiry best helps us make progress towards as good a world as possible? There are, nevertheless, indications that some scientists and university administrators are beginning to become aware of the urgent need for science, and universities, to change. This is prompted, partly by growing awareness of the seriousness of environmental problems, especially global warming, and partly by a concern to improve the relationship between science and the public. So far, however, these changes have been small-scale, scattered and piecemeal. What we require is for academics and non-academics alike to wake up to the urgent need for change so that we may come to possess what we so strikingly and disastrously lack at present: a kind of inquiry rationally devoted to helping humanity make progress towards as good a world as possible.
topic Education
politics
science
Nicholas Maxwell
Academic revolution
enlightenment
global problems
humanities
knowledge-inquiry
reason
social inquiry
wisdom-inquiry.
url http://integral-review.org/pdf-template-issue.php?pdfName=vol_9_no_2_maxwell_from_knowledge_to_wisdom.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT nicholasmaxwell fromknowledgetowisdomassessmentandprospectsafterthreedecades
_version_ 1725983713239498752