Aristotle's Sophia

In this paper, I will set out Aristotle's conception of "wisdom" (sophia), as compared to the modern American conception of the same word. I will then discuss some of the problems of Aristotle's approach to and concept of "wisdom." One of the most fundamental concepts in Aristotle's Metaphysics is "wisdom" (sophia). It is so fundamental that the whole discipline to which Aristotle devoted his life that it is called "philosophy," i.e. the "love of …

…of such "wisdom," but rather because it bears little relation to the Metaphysics, or to metaphysics in general. But even so, Aristotle's conception of the highest wisdom is fundamentally problematic. He acknowledges that it may be unknowable, and hence can never be wisdom. And beyond that, he set up the parameters of his method of inquiry in such a way that it is entirely possible for his entire effort to fall short in the end.