Reflection on the Apology by Plato
I have chosen the Apology by Plato for my topic of reflection. The description of wisdom that Socrates uses is problematic for me to wrap my head around. The ebook version of the book that I read contained a lengthy introduction by the translator that served as a synopsis of the narrative that followed. I will do my best to interact with the definition of wisdom that Socrates uses without using the insights of this synopsis, except where the matter of translation is addressed.
Socrates uses the word wisdom to describe an attribute that no one seems to possess. He claims that those who think they have wisdom are the least wise of them all. He also claims that he is not wise, but only wise enough to know that he is not wise. It is unclear from the text if he believes this or is using it to confuse those to whom he is defending himself. If this is his true belief, then he would likely be able to find plenty of people that would agree with an assessment that believing one to be unwise is a sign of wisdom. If he is playing games with the trial, then his definition of the word wisdom is irrelevant.
I think it is essential to determine what is the modern understanding of wisdom and see if there are ancient parallels that establish such a definition to make the definition timeless or universal. The Merriam-Webster dictionary uses the words “insight”, “judgement”, and “knowledge” to describe wisdom. I believe that these words accurately describe the current understanding of wisdom, but the word “knowledge” would not as important as “insight” and “judgement” in my opinion. Someone insightful and sound in their judgement is considered wise.
Someone synonymous with wisdom in the Judeo-Christian tradition is Solomon. He famously asked God for “wisdom and knowledge” (2 Chronicles 1:10) so that he may rule the Jewish people. Solomon makes a distinction between the word wisdom and knowledge in this request. More importantly, there is a specific purpose for this request. He is not asking for wisdom and knowledge just to be wise and knowledgeable, but so he can rule well.
The modern definition of wisdom aligns well with the Judeo-Christian understanding of Solomon’s description of wisdom. It would be easy to presume that Socrates meant something different when he used the word wisdom, or the translation to the word wisdom does not show what Socrates meant. As mentioned above, the translator’s introduction describes Socrates as using a definition of the word wisdom that often aligns with the modern definition.
I have yet to describe what I believe to be problematic with Socrates’ use of the word wisdom. When trying to find those wiser than him, he approaches politicians, artists, and artisans to find wise people. I will not comment on his belief that there were no politicians who he would consider wise, but I believe his conclusions on artists and artisans show an inconsistent use of the word wisdom. His expectation of a wise artist was someone that could interpret all art and he described those that could not do so as “soothsayers” that did not know what their creations meant. His description of a craftsman was similar. I believe that his expectation of a wise blacksmith would need to be an expert in metallurgy and someone who is articulate enough to write a textbook on such topics. Because he could not find someone that could do that, he deemed himself somehow wiser than experience artists and craftsmen. This is either a fallacy or inconsistent use of the word wisdom.
I am in the process of trying to become a woodworker. I have watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos on every topic I could find related to woodworking. Despite all of this head knowledge, I managed to almost cut my thumb off on a table saw the first time I used it. I had the “knowledge” of what I was doing, but I had no “insight” or “judgement”. Unfortunately, because of the way my brain works, I believe Socrates may have deemed me as someone that was wise in the area of woodworking. This is because of the “knowledge” I had been gaining, my ability to articulate it, plus recognition of how much more there is for me to know. I would disagree and tell him that someone wise in their craft would not need such humility or articulating their knowledge. An artist is not unwise because he is not an art historian or art critic. My interpretation of Socrates’s use of the word wisdom during this section of his defense is one whose definition is nebulous and incorrect.
References
Notley, D. (2006). The Holy Bible: Revised standard version. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press.
Plato. Apology (B. Jowett, Trans.) [Kindle].
Wisdom. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wisdom