Phronesis: What Is This Human Virtue According To The Greek Philosophers?
Acquiring knowledge of all kinds is always positive, but it will not bring us happiness if we do not know how to use it. Wisdom, prudence and good sense are inherent aspects of a happy life, and they are not things that can be taught but are acquired through experience and over the years.
The ancient Greeks had a word to describe this type of practical wisdom, of knowing how to choose between right and wrong: phronesis While it is difficult to translate the term, understanding the concept of it is not so complicated, thanks mainly to how much Aristotle and other philosophers commented on what phronesis was. Let’s look at it further.
Phronesis (from Φρόνησις, “phronēsis”) is a very widespread concept in Greek philosophy It was especially developed by Aristotle in his “Nichomachean Ethics”, where he considered it to be one of the great virtues of the human being. The ancient Greeks thought that phronesis was part of the arts of good living and that anyone who had this property would be able to function in different life situations with complete success.
There is no exact translation for phronesis into our language, some of the proposals being “practical wisdom” and “prudence”, with the opposite meaning to “hibris” or “excessity”. Regardless of how you prefer to translate, phronesis and prudence are two related ideas. In fact, The Spanish word “prudence” comes from the Latin “prudentia” which, in turn, derives from “phrónesis”
It would also be related to the word “phroneo” (to understand) and the Latin “providentia” (to anticipate). Thomas McEvilley proposed that it be translated as “full consciousness” or “mindfulness.”
The first great philosopher to talk about phronesis was Socrates, who considered it a kind of sum of all the virtues of the human being. Later, Plato also made reference to phronesis in his work “Meno”, where he defines it as “moral understanding” and considers it the most important attribute of all those that could be learned But Plato also clarifies that phronesis cannot be taught, but rather is the result of a deep knowledge of oneself.
As we have mentioned, the philosopher who most developed the concept of phronesis was Aristotle. For this philosopher originally from Stagira, this era a form of wisdom different from “sophy”, that is, the universal knowledge of science
Sofia would be the most theoretical knowledge or wisdom, the data that one learns while learning from books, people or events in nature. Sofia is a combination of “nous”, which is the ability to discern reality, and “episteme”, a type of knowledge that is logically constructed and can be taught.
On the other hand, phronesis corresponded to materialized wisdom. It did not consist of the simple application of knowledge, but also required the ability to decide to achieve a specific goal Also for Aristotle, this was the virtue to choose the application of knowledge based on the greatest possible good and acquire a full life. Thus, it is an ethical virtue.
Aristotle also associated phronesis with politics. In this case, wisdom It had to be applied for the common good and the good government of the city-states According to this philosopher, anyone who possessed this virtue would have the ability to become the ideal leader for any group. Whoever shows a lot of phronesis means that he not only has knowledge, but also good sense and prudence in the decisions that are made.
Although Aristotle confessed that sophia was higher and more serious than phronesis, the search for elevated wisdom and happiness requires both. For him, phronesis made it easier to achieve Sofia.
Phronesis and ethics
In relation to ethics, Aristotle pointed out that there are three ways to appeal to character or “ethos” This word means “custom” or “conduct” in ancient Greek and refers to the way of being, specifically moral behavior. The three components of this ethos would be phronesis, areté and eunoia.
The areté is the will to excellence It would be what people have who are trained to think, speak and act successfully. In turn, the areté was determined by three virtues:
As for eunoia, this word referred to good will toward the source It could be seen as a synonym for nobility and, in more modern terms, empathy.
Finally, in this theory we have phronesis, which would not be the result of good character formation as would be the case of areté and eunoia, but would be the result of experience. It is for this reason that Aristotle believed that phronesis could not be present in a young person, since they have not lived long enough as to have acquired it.
An intellectual virtue
Aristotle indicated that phronesis was a virtue of intelligence, which would allow one to properly decide between right and wrong things, with the purpose of achieving personal and collective happiness. It was an intellectual attribute that was present in concrete facts, not in potentials. It involves the mobilization of knowledge, but not universal, but contextual, based on the demands of the moment and place. It is, ultimately, an intelligent and contextual use of what is known, of experience
While areté allows us to establish noble goals and high purposes, phronesis allows us to choose the right means and carry out what is necessary to achieve them. It would not be a skill because that is a talent or skill, something that involves doing things sufficiently and that has been perfected. Phronesis involves making a sharp reflection before daring to do something and is not repetitive.
Aristotle thought that phronesis was a necessary condition to be happy and a fundamental characteristic to have social credibility, to be followed by the crowds and respected too. It implies having a trained, lucid mind, but practical at the same time and with a high dose of common sense. It is the virtue of leaders and people with a high power of persuasion.
Related article: “The 40 best virtues that a person can possess”
Phronesis made man: Pericles
One of the most important figures of Classical Antiquity was the Athenian hero Pericles This almost mythological character is the living embodiment of what phronesis is, so much so that his name in classical Greek means “surrounded by glory.” And it is not surprising because he was everything: lawyer, magistrate, general, politician and orator, all in one of the most culturally and militarily critical moments in the history of Athens.
His life is legendary, highlighting his participation in two of the most important conflicts of classical Greece: the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian Wars. He managed to perform heroically in a war campaign and was very active in the life of his city thanks to the fact that he served as a great ruler. His power of persuasion and intellect, combined, made anyone follow him with blind faith. Through his words and cunning, he achieved everything he set out to do. He was the prototype of what a wise man should be, phronesis made man.
