Dove e quando

Monika Ardelt (University of Florida)

Why and how are wisdom and moral virtues related?

According to Aristotle, practical wisdom and moral virtues are inherently intertwined with each other. Yet, why exactly should this be the case? In this presentation, I first provide a definition of practical wisdom and moral virtue before suggesting several theoretical reasons for the interconnection between wisdom and moral virtue. I then show how moral virtues are already embedded in contemporary definitions and operationalizations of wisdom, which might explain why measures of wisdom and indicators of moral character and virtue are correlated. However, it is not clear what the direction of the association is. Wise individuals are likely to behave morally, but a moral character might also make it easier to grow in wisdom. I introduce a short-term longitudinal study that attempts to answer the question whether wisdom increases moral virtues, moral virtues increase wisdom, or whether wisdom and moral virtues are reciprocally related. I conclude with an empirical test of Aristotle’s theory of wisdom, moral virtues, and flourishing.