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Features contributing to wisdom

Short answer

Wisdom involves sense of proportion, comprehensive vision, wide knowledge, freedom from immediate interests, impartiality, freedom from hatred and fear, benevolence, and concern for ends. It uses knowledge for good, blending facts with compassion and balanced judgement.

Describe the various features that contribute to wisdom with reference to the text "Knowledge and Wisdom".

In "Knowledge and Wisdom", Bertrand Russell says that wisdom is not just knowledge but a combination of several features. The features he describes include the following.

Features contributing to wisdom

  1. Sense of proportion. The ability to consider all the important factors in a problem and give each its right weight, so that no single aspect dominates.
  2. Comprehensive vision. Seeing a problem as a whole, rather than from the narrow viewpoint of a specialist.
  3. Wide knowledge. An understanding of the facts and of human affairs that gives a proper basis for judgement.
  4. Emancipation from the "here and now". Freedom from the tyranny of immediate interests, so that one considers distant places, times and people as well.
  5. Impartiality. Seeing things without bias for oneself, one's group or one's country.
  6. Freedom from hatred and fear. Emotions such as hatred, envy and fear distort judgement; the wise person overcomes them.
  7. Benevolence and compassion. A feeling of goodwill towards all human beings, which guides knowledge to good ends.
  8. Concern for ends. Knowing what is truly worth pursuing in life.

Russell holds that this wisdom can be taught and should be an aim of education. Knowledge gives power; wisdom decides how power is used for human benefit.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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