Wisdom

Contrast and Meaning in the 'Aqhat Story

by Shirly Natan-Yulzary

Forthcoming: VT 62 (2012)
KEYWORDS: Ugaritic Epic; West-Semitic; Narrative Poetry; ʾAqhat; Wisdom; Old Testament; Structuralism; Formalism; Semiotic Square; Actantial Model; Contrast; Dana’il, Pughat, ʿAnat; Ugaritic; epic; Semantic field

Creating contrast between different elements in the narrative is one of the Ugaritic poet’s main poetic devices. This... more Creating contrast between different elements in the narrative is one of the Ugaritic poet’s main poetic devices. This literary tool is employed to encourage the audience to elicit and produce narrative meaning. In ʾAqhat it is a prominent technique, abundant in the lexical make up and stylistic texture of the narrative, in its content, as well as in the narrative structure.
The examples analyzed in the article represent only a sampling of the Ugaritic poet's elaborate and complex range of literary creativity. They illustrate the prominence of this device and demonstrate that its use is akin to that familiar from biblical narrative. Thus, this essay also indirectly supports the thesis the literary precursors and background of biblical narrative poetics are reflected in the Ugaritic epics, and that these two corpora are representative of the same literary tradition, not only regard to thematics and language, but also in respect to their poetics.

Journeys across mindscapes

by Sardar Anwaruddin

W. J. Korab-Karpowicz, Rethinking Philosophy: An Essay on Philosophy, Myth and Science, Philosophy Today (2002).

by W Julian Korab-Karpowicz

Philosophy defined as pursuit of wisdom can be understood as the desire to arrive at the ultimate knowledge - the... more Philosophy defined as pursuit of wisdom can be understood as the desire to arrive at the ultimate knowledge - the knowledge of the whole. But when it turns to be scientific and attempts to look at the world “objectively”, it arrives only at a knowledge of a part. What remains largely unquestioned about the world-view of modern science is its essence. The essence of scientific outlook is indifference. To place the world before us as an object of indifferent investigation is not an effective method of reaching truth about everything. Consequently, philosophy needs to follow its own path. Under the surface of illusion which results from scientific investigation there is a universal knowledge which arises from man’s devotional and affective engagement with the world. Philosophy can be regarded as a pursuit of the knowledge of the whole, but it is not the knowledge of the whole. The knowledge of the whole for which philosophy looks can be revealed in myth.

The Regal Status of Christ in the Colossian "Christ-Hymn": A Re-Evaluation of the Influence of Wisdom Traditions

by John Anthony Dunne

Published in Trinity Journal 32.1 (Spring 2011): 3-18.

Aging and Wisdom: Culture Matters

by Igor Grossmann

Co-authored with Karasawa, M., Izumi, S., Na, J., Varnum, M. E. W., Kitayama, S., & Nisbett, R. E., published in 'Psychological Science', in press

Research indicates that cultures differ in the ways they approach social conflicts, with Japanese being more motivated... more Research indicates that cultures differ in the ways they approach social conflicts, with Japanese being more motivated to maintain interpersonal harmony and avoid conflicts than Americans. Such cultural differences have developmental consequences for reasoning about social conflict. We interviewed random samples of Americans from the Midwest in the U.S. and Japanese from the larger Tokyo area about the future developments of intergroup and interpersonal conflicts. Responses showed increased wisdom (e.g. recognition of multiple perspectives, compromise, and the limits of knowledge) with increasing age among Americans, but older age was not associated with wiser responses among Japanese. Younger and middle-aged Japanese showed greater use of wise reasoning strategies than younger and middle-aged Americans. This cultural difference was weaker for older participants for interpersonal conflicts and was actually reversed for intergroup conflicts. Implications of this research for the study of aging, cultural psychology, and wisdom are discussed.

Voice from SHRAYAN_'Tales of Common People's Wisdom'_Written by Amulya Kumar Chakraborty_Posted by Pathik Basu (Bengali Version)

by Pathik Basu

Dr Amulya Kumar Chakraborty, author of this essay is a dedicated social activist, presently attached with Ramakrishna... more Dr Amulya Kumar Chakraborty, author of this essay is a dedicated social activist, presently attached with Ramakrishna Mission Lok-Siksha Parishad (presently he is 87!). Here the writer is sharing about the experiences he gathered from common people, the wisdom inherent in common people that he witnessed from close vicinity during the long tenure of his service. All the characters are real. They are matrixed as ‘common people’ by so-called elitist custom, but strange is their virtue, Dharma. This article is published in SHRAYAN's 2012 Annual Number.

Mosaic Torah as Encyclical Paideia: Reading Paul’s Allegory of Hagar and Sarah in Light of Philo of Alexandria’s

by Jason Zurawski

To be presented in the Wisdom and Apocalypticism session at the Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting in Chicago, IL, November 2012.

Philo’s allegorical reading of Genesis’ Hagar, Sarah, and Abraham narrative deals with the advantages, and possible... more Philo’s allegorical reading of Genesis’ Hagar, Sarah, and Abraham narrative deals with the advantages, and possible disadvantages, of a Greek education. In his reading, Hagar represents encyclical paideia, or what we might call liberal arts, subjects pertaining to a specifically Greek education such as grammar, rhetoric, or music. For Philo, this education (i.e. Hagar) was an absolutely essential step for Abraham in the attainment of his true desire, virtue or wisdom (i.e. Sarah), the former preparing him for the latter. While for Philo, Greek paideia was an often necessary means to attaining wisdom, there were dangers involved, namely becoming too devoted to the maidservant to the detriment of the mistress. Sarah banished Hagar because once Abraham obtained wisdom, he no longer had need for the encyclical studies.
Paul’s reading of the narrative, on the surface, seems completely unrelated, and scholars, not surprisingly, have almost universally rejected any connection between the two. While I do not suggest that Paul was necessarily reading Philo, I do believe there is good reason for attempting to understand Paul’s exegesis in light of Philo’s. Two popular topics of conversation among Jews in the Diaspora were, one, Mosaic Law as a means to obtaining wisdom, and two, Greek paideia as a more cautious means to wisdom. Paul’s reading, then, becomes part of this conversation, yet with some fairly drastic innovation due precisely to his new understanding of wisdom, fully available now only as or through Christ. Paul conflates the two paths to wisdom, Mosaic Torah and Greek paideia, the Torah itself becoming Hagar, Philo’s encyclical studies. It has a definite purpose, but once the goal of wisdom is reached, it is no longer needed. Paul, therefore, warns the Galatians of the dangers of returning to the Mosaic Law, as pedagogue and paideia, once having attained true wisdom via Christ. This reading of the allegory shows a consistency in Paul’s argumentation in the letter which has been lost due to the more typical interpretations of the allegory.

Gesetz und Weisheit im Pentateuch

by Thomas Krüger

published in: I. Fischer / U. Rapp / J. Schiller (ed.), Auf den Spuren der schriftgelehrten Weisen (FS J. Marböck; BZAW 331), Berlin / New York (W. de Gruyter) 2003, 1–12 (reprinted in: Thomas Krüger, Das menschliche Herz und die Weisung Gottes, 137–148)

Imago Sapientiae. Los orígenes del Ideal sapiencial medieval

by Manuel Alejandro Rodríguez de la Peña

Published in Medievalismo, 7 (1997). This article was awarded a Prize: III Premio Medievalismo para Jóvenes Investigadores

Alcuino de York, ideólogo del Imperium Christianum: el análisis político en el renacimiento carolingio.

by Manuel Alejandro Rodríguez de la Peña

Published in "Historia del Análisis Político", ed. Consuelo Martínez-Sicluna/ Pablo Sánchez Garrido (Madrid, 2011) pp. 175-188.

El paradigma de los reyes sabios en el "De rebus Hispaniae" de Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada.

by Manuel Alejandro Rodríguez de la Peña

Published in "Sevilla 1248 : Congreso Internacional Conmemorativo del 750 Aniversario de la Conquista de la Ciudad de Sevilla por Fernando III", ed. Manuel González Jiménez (Madrid, 2000), pp. 757-766.

Los espejos de príncipes y la transmisión del saber en el occidente medieval.

by Manuel Alejandro Rodríguez de la Peña

Published in: Cuadernos de pensamiento, 17 (2005), pp. 127-170.

Translatio Studii y Translatio Imperii: autoridad y sabiduría en la formación de la idea medieval de Europa

by Manuel Alejandro Rodríguez de la Peña

Published in "La identidad de Europa. Tradición clásica y Modernidad", ed. Dalmacio Negro Pavón/Pablo Sánchez Garrido (Madrid, 2008), pp. 25-46.

Wisdom and Apocalyptic in 2 Baruch

by Daewoong Kim

Henoch 38/2 (2011) 250-274

Second Baruch is a Jewish apocalypse written in the wake of the Roman sacking of the Jerusalem temple. This essay... more Second Baruch is a Jewish apocalypse written in the wake of the Roman sacking of the Jerusalem temple. This essay examines how deliberately Second Baruch uses the biblical sapiential tradition and closely connects it with the apocalyptic tradition in Daniel. Particularly, Second Baruch eschatologizes the idea of elusive wisdom in Job 28 against the backdrop of the apocalyptic concept of two-group in Daniel 11-12. To deal with the theological crisis Judaism behind Second Baruch faced, Second Baruch integrates the sacred past that Scripture enshrined with the apocalyptic future that Second Baruch advocates.

Wisdom, Consciousness, and the Future

by Tom Lombardo

To read more on Wisdom, Consciousness, and the Future and order copies of the complete book see: http://www.centerforfutureconsciousness.com/book_wcf.htm

The collection of essays in this book chronicles the development of Dr. Tom Lombardo’s theoretical perspective on a... more The collection of essays in this book chronicles the development of Dr. Tom Lombardo’s theoretical perspective on a series of related philosophical and psychological topics: consciousness and creativity; human evolution and education for the future; and future consciousness and ethical character virtues. Central to the author’s theoretical vision is wisdom. Dr. Lombardo explains how wisdom is the highest expression of future consciousness; how it is the key ideal that should be modeled and taught within education; how wisdom subsumes all of the other important academic virtues; how wisdom aligns with our ongoing technological evolution and global- ecological awareness; and why wisdom is the appropriate ideal toward which we should strive in our individual and collective evolution. Wisdom, Consciousness, and the Future is nothing short of a blueprint for a new and integrative wisdom-based model of education and the purposeful evolution of mind and human consciousness in the future.

Included in this link is the Table of Contents and the Introduction.

Mind Flight: A Journey into the Future (with Jeanne Belisle Lombardo)

by Tom Lombardo

See http://www.centerforfutureconsciousness.com/book_mindflight.htm to read more about Mind Flight and order copies of the complete book.

With great honesty, and both drama and romance, Mind Flight weaves together personal narrative and intellectual... more With great honesty, and both drama and romance, Mind Flight weaves together personal narrative and intellectual odyssey, taking readers along on the author’s pursuit of wisdom and enlightenment, his search for love, and his quest for an inspiring vision of the future. Encyclopedic in scope, the book pulls together Plato, Freud, Spinoza, Nietzsche, and other epochal historical figures with Pink Floyd, the Hippies, the Sexual Revolution, A Clockwork Orange, the Yin-Yang, the madhouse world of mental health, and the fantastical visions of science fiction. What results in this grand saga is not only a chronicle of one man’s journey from industrial, middle-class America—where weightlifting and fist fighting define virtue and value—to the philosophical life in the mystical expanse of the Southwest, but a profound exploration of the archetypal themes of order and chaos; good and evil; truth and beauty; passion and reason; and science and God. Mind Flight draws the reader into the vast wonders and possibilities of the future, and is a stunning example of “living the examined life.”


Included in this link are: The Table of Contents, Introduction, and Chapter One

The Wisdom of Future Consciousness

by Tom Lombardo

It is wise to be conscious of the future. And reciprocally, if one wishes to enhance one’s future consciousness, one... more It is wise to be conscious of the future. And reciprocally, if one wishes to enhance one’s future consciousness, one should pursue the development of wisdom.
In recent years I have explored the nature of future consciousness: its historical evolution and its future possibilities; its psychological dimensions and its significance in our further evolution; and ways to enhance it through education and self-development practices. During this same period I have also studied thinking and research on the virtue of wisdom, its connection to the ideals and goals of education, it’s impact on quality of life and psychological well-being, and, perhaps most significantly, its relationship to future consciousness. Pulling these two areas of interest together, I have come to the conclusion that wisdom is the highest expression of future consciousness; it is the normative ideal towards which we should aspire in the development of future consciousness. Heightened future consciousness and wisdom go hand-in-hand.

In this article I describe the many parallels between wisdom and heightened future consciousness. I explain how the development of one capacity enhances the other capacity. I explain in detail what I mean by the statement that “wisdom is the highest expression of future consciousness.” Finally, I argue that, whether we call it wisdom or heightened future consciousness, this capacity defines a desirable direction for the future psychological evolution.

The Pursuit of Wisdom and the Future of Education

by Tom Lombardo

In this paper I outline a contemporary theory of wisdom through examining: modern research on learning, knowledge and... more In this paper I outline a contemporary theory of wisdom through examining: modern research on learning, knowledge and thinking; the study of multiple modes of human understanding; the search for enlightenment; the expansion of consciousness; contemporary science and epistemology; and psychological investigations into the holistic nature of wisdom. I conclude with some thoughts on the teaching of wisdom and how the “life of wisdom” may represent a new level in the mental evolution of humanity, capturing and further refining the essence of the idea of the “New Enlightenment.
My main argument is that the pursuit and practice of wisdom should be the main focus of education. Wisdom should be the central character trait we practice and model as educators, and the central virtue we attempt to instill and develop in our students.

Integrative, Holistic Wisdom-Based Futures Education

by Tom Lombardo

Futures education provides the ideal framework for providing college students with a high quality integrative and... more Futures education provides the ideal framework for providing college students with a high quality integrative and holistic education. In this paper, I describe the evolution and structure of such a futures-focused educational program. Many lines of thought and diverse themes—a result of work I have done within the Center for Future Consciousness—have contributed to the development of this program. I highlight some of its key features, including the multi-faceted enhancement of future consciousness; the development of character virtues and wisdom; inter-disciplinary and psychologically holistic education; deep learning and higher cognitive skills; and sustainability and environmental ethics. Further, I describe general grading criteria, assignments, and the student-teacher learning community within this program. The overall thrust of the program is two-fold: to enhance the quality, depth, and breadth of the student’s mind, and to facilitate the development of individuals who can contribute to the betterment of human society in the future. 

Ethical Character Development and Personal and Academic Excellence

by Tom Lombardo

The development of ethical character virtues is the key to personal, academic, and professional success in life. We... more The development of ethical character virtues is the key to personal, academic, and professional success in life. We will realize happiness and self-fulfillment in life, achieve our highest potential in school and work, benefit those around us, and contribute to human society as a whole, if we pursue a life of virtue. Ethics is good for us.
This paper describes a balanced approach to ethics and character development. There are positive consequences to being ethical and negative consequences to being unethical; I will identify both.
Though personal happiness and professional success in life are examined, the center of gravity for the discussion is the dimension of academic success.
This paper outlines a character development approach to education. Instead of assuming that the primary purpose of education is simply learning theories, facts, and skills, I propose that the central goal of education is the development of people of character who will use their knowledge to benefit themselves and others. Acquiring knowledge is important but acquiring ethics is more important, and, in fact, ends up serving the acquisition of knowledge.