4. Wisdom, Teaching, and Knowledge of Causes

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Three Arguments for Wisdom as Knowledge of Causes #

Berquist outlines Aristotle’s three-part demonstration that wisdom consists in knowing causes:

1. The Chief Artist Argument: The teacher/doctor/general who knows why is wiser than the technician/pharmacist/subordinate who merely executes. The medical doctor is wiser than the pharmacist; the general who orders cavalry is wiser than those who obey.

2. The Teaching Argument: The man of art or science is wiser because he can give reasons why something should be done. The man of experience can only say “take my word for it; when you get to be my age you’ll see.” True teaching requires explanation of causes, not mere assertion.

3. Reductio ad Absurdum: If wisdom consisted in knowledge of singulars and that something is so, then sensing would be wisdom. But a newborn baby with perfect vision is not wiser than an elderly person. Therefore, wisdom must consist in knowledge of universals and why things are so.

The Progression of Knowledge Toward First Causes #

The natural direction of human knowledge moves from:

• Singular and particular → Universal and general
• That it is so → Why it is so
• Knowledge of effects → Knowledge of causes

Following this logic: if the man who knows the cause is wiser than the man who knows only that something is, then the man who knows the cause of the cause would be wiser still. Therefore, the wisest knowledge would be knowledge of the first cause.

Experience vs. Art/Science in Practice and Knowledge #

Berquist clarifies an important nuance Aristotle makes:

• In practical doing: The man of experience often succeeds better because action concerns singulars. A farmer watching highway construction may see practical problems the engineers miss.

• In knowing and wisdom: The man of art/science is superior because he knows causes. The husband may know from experience that his wife will be upset by something, without knowing why. The medical theorist knows why aspirin works; the patient only knows it worked.

• Key distinction: Aristotle is “nuanced”—he does not claim art/science is superior in every respect, only in wisdom and knowledge.

The Etymology and Humility of Philosophy #

Berquist traces the origin of the term “philosopher” through Pythagoras, who refused to be called “wise” (sophos) saying “God alone is wise.” Instead, he coined the term “lover of wisdom” (philosophos)—expressing both the love of wisdom and the humility of true philosophers. Great Greek philosophers (Heraclitus, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle) all maintained this humility, recognizing human wisdom as inferior to divine wisdom.

Mathematics and the Love of Learning for Its Own Sake #

Berquist emphasizes the Greek meaning of mathematikos (one fond of learning) differs from modern mathematics as a practical tool. The ancient mathematicians and Euclid valued geometric knowledge for its own sake—as something “wonderful to be known,” not for practical application. The word theorem comes from the Greek meaning “something to look at.” Philosophy is compared to “serious play”—pleasant in itself and for its own sake, not for external results.

The Distinction Between Wise and Doing #

Wisdom and practical skill are distinct:

• Einstein is admired for knowing the universe, not for doing anything with it
• Shakespeare is considered wiser than the greatest cook or shoemaker, even though the cook and shoemaker serve necessities
• We think of great poets and thinkers as “teachers of all the Greeks” or “teachers of all the English-speaking people”—but not of cooks or shoemakers

Key Arguments #

Argument 1: The Chief Artist is Wiser Than the Handicraftsman #

Structure:

• The chief artist knows the universal (what is common to all cases) and why it is so
• The handicraftsman knows only how to execute this particular case
• The teacher can give reasons; the mere executor follows orders
• Conclusion: Knowledge of causes, not mere practical skill, constitutes wisdom

Evidence from common experience:

• A medical doctor is wiser than a pharmacist
• A general is wiser than a subordinate officer
• A teacher who can explain is wiser than a student who merely believes

Argument 2: Teaching as Evidence of Knowing Causes #

Structure:

• True teaching involves giving reasons why, not merely asserting what
• The man of experience says “take my word for it”
• The man of art/science can explain why this should be done this way
• The ability to teach is a sign of knowing
• Conclusion: The man able to teach fully must know causes and therefore be wiser

Illustrative distinction: Learning only begins when you believe the teacher. Full learning occurs only when you understand the reasons yourself.

Argument 3: Reductio—Sensation Cannot Be Wisdom #

Structure:

• Wisdom must consist either in knowledge of singulars and that something is so, OR in knowledge of universals and why something is so
• If wisdom were knowledge of singulars and that something is so, then sensing would be wisdom (since sensing directly knows singulars)
• Experience and memory are less authoritative than sensation for knowing singulars
• A newborn baby with perfect eyesight would be wiser than an elderly person
• But no one thinks sensation is wisdom
• Conclusion: Wisdom must consist in knowledge of universals and causes

Important Definitions #

Wisdom (σοφία/sophia) #

• Knowledge of first causes and beginnings
• Consists more in knowing causes than in knowing universals
• Desirable for its own sake, not for practical results
• Not about doing but about knowing
• The end and perfection of all learning

Experience (ἐμπειρία/empeiria) #

• A collection of memories of the same sort brought together
• Knowledge of singulars: that something is so
• More trustworthy than individual memory or sensation for practical matters
• Comes with time and maturity
• Superior to mere sensation but inferior to art/science in wisdom

Art/Science (τέχνη/techne and ἐπιστήμη/episteme) #

• Knowledge of the universal: what is common to many cases
• Knowledge of causes: why something is so
• Teachable because it can explain reasons
• More authoritative than experience for wisdom, though sometimes inferior for practical doing
• Aristotle treats these somewhat interchangeably here, though distinguishes them more precisely in Nicomachean Ethics VI

Philosopher (φιλόσοφος/philosophos) #

• Literally: “lover of wisdom” (philo + sophos)
• Expresses both love of wisdom and humility before divine wisdom
• Arises from recognition that only God is wise in the full sense

Examples & Illustrations #

Teaching and Understanding #

• A teacher instructs an assistant to ensure children write the letter C from top to bottom, not bottom to top. The teacher knows this prepares for cursive writing; the assistant merely obeys. The teacher is wiser.
• A priest gives correct moral answers but cannot explain why they are wrong. A philosopher who can give reasons appears wiser in the domain of teaching.
• A student asks a teacher Greek without explanation of why. Only later does the student understand the doors that knowledge of Greek opens.

Medical Practice #

• The medical doctor is wiser than the pharmacist because the doctor knows why medicine is needed
• Sensing is more trustworthy than memory for singular knowledge, but the man of experience (who remembers many cases) is wiser than one who merely senses a single instance

Literary and Cultural Wisdom #

• Homer is called “teacher of all the Greeks”—not because he teaches practical skills, but because his wisdom about human nature is universally recognized
• Shakespeare’s plays are admired for knowing/wisdom, not for practical results (we don’t “make dinner with Hamlet”)
• The greatest poets are considered wiser than the greatest cooks or shoemakers, even though cooks and shoemakers serve necessities

Science and Modern Understanding #

• Einstein is admired for knowing the universe, not for doing anything practical with that knowledge
• Modern science (union of natural science and technical science) still considers the theoretical physicist wiser than the engineer who applies the theory

Notable Quotes #

“When you believe the teacher, that’s only the beginning of learning. Until you see the reasons why yourself, you’re not fully taught.” — Berquist, explaining Aristotle on why mere assertion is not true teaching

“Don’t call me wise. Only God is wise. Call me a lover of wisdom.” — Pythagoras, on the origin of the term “philosopher”

“As an ape is to a man, so is man to God.” — Heraclitus, illustrating human wisdom relative to divine wisdom

“At the end of all our knowledge…there comes this most universal knowledge. Some might say, that doesn’t seem to me to be wisdom.” — Berquist, raising the puzzle of why the most universal knowledge seems wisest

Questions Addressed #

Why is the man who can give reasons considered wiser than the man of experience? #

Because true teaching requires explanation of causes. The man of experience can only say “take my word for it,” while the man of art/science can explain why. The ability to teach fully is a sign of knowing causes, which constitutes wisdom.

Does art/science surpass experience in all respects? #

No. Aristotle is nuanced. In practical doing and action, the man of experience often succeeds better because action concerns singulars and particulars. A husband may know from experience that his wife will be upset without knowing why. But in knowing and being wise, art/science is superior because it knows causes.

Why would anyone think sensation is wisdom? #

If wisdom consisted chiefly in knowledge of singulars and that something is so, then sensation—which is most direct in knowing singulars—would be wisdom. But this is absurd: a newborn baby with perfect vision is not wiser than an elderly person. Therefore, wisdom must involve knowledge of universals and causes.

How does the progression of knowledge point toward first causes? #

As knowledge develops from sensation → memory → experience → art/science, it moves progressively toward universals and causes. If knowing the cause makes one wiser than knowing merely that something is, then knowing the cause of the cause would be wiser still. Therefore, the wisest knowledge would be of the first cause.

What is the connection between being a lover of wisdom and philosophical humility? #

Pythagoras refused the title “wise” (sophos), saying only God is fully wise. He coined “philosopher”—lover of wisdom—expressing both the aspiration toward wisdom and humility before what is truly wise. All great Greek philosophers maintained this stance, recognizing human wisdom as limited compared to divine wisdom.