Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual (philosophical orientation) can embrace it. (Akan proverb from Ghana)
Breaking down the word philosophy itself, literally means love (philo) and wisdom(sophos). Philosophy, in short, means love of wisdom. This meaning is derived from ancient Greece, from where the tenets of modern liberal education was borne.
Irrespective of whichever philosophical orientation one leans towards, be it liberal, behaviorist, progressive, humanistic or radical there is thread of wisdom seeking running through. Wisdom can be likened to a destination, where all the different philosophical orientations strive to reach. Eventually they will all get there, they just chart different courses or pathways in arriving at their endpoint.
I will attempt to look at the various philosophies and the nexus with wisdom. I will start with liberalism which seeks to develop the powers of the intellect. The quest for knowledge or wisdom is one of the hallmarks of liberalism. Secondly, the behaviorist is about changing behaviors, developing skills and abilities. The correlation with wisdom is not clearly defined here. Delving deeper, one can find the connection. If this model is about behavior change, one can safely argue from the perspective of metanoia, where a spiritual conversion takes place in the life of a new convert to a faith. What takes place is in effect a behavior change (spiritual conversion) in relation to wisdom. According to Cassidy, C. (2016) he mentions among other things, reflection, self-understanding and spirituality as elements in defining wisdom. Progressives focuses on experience on the learner. Does the learner gain wisdom from his or her experience? Dobson, E. (2015) sees wisdom as a way of life, a way of moving from moment to moment that is reborn in us, with each new living experience. The value of wisdom and experience is highlighted here. Moving on to the humanist orientation, this philosophy espouses the idea of enhancing personal growth and self- actualization. Personal growth here is seen as a search for meaning and purpose, ranging from the mundane to the transcendental. The pursuit of wisdom can also be found in this realm of nirvana. Lastly, with the traditional philosophies, radical philosophy, through education weeks to bring social, political and economic change. We can draw on the collective wisdom of an oppressed people who seek to bring about change in their society. An example will be the men imprisoned on Robben Island in South Africa led Mandela, who through formal and informal learning opportunities that came to them, ignited the spark that led to the eventual demise of apartheid.
Lastly, one emerging perspective I will want to touch on is wisdom from the traditional Afrocentric perspective. Wisdom or in other words, communal knowledge is passed on from generation to generation largely by way of oral tradition. Documentation is almost non-existent. Wisdom sharing is done through medium such as folklore, metaphors, proverbs, symbols, music and dance. There is the belief that knowledge and wisdom grows, no one can know it all. It is the preserve of the community. This relates to the Akan people of Ghana.
The central question of whether wisdom should be the goal of adult education is a tricky one. I will rather want to see it as a means to an end and not an end in itself. The scholarship on wisdom as part adult education is still growing. Wisdom as a concept is still amorphous, it may mean different things to different people, depending on which lens one is looking through. As a broad overarching goal for adult education, I will rather tread cautiously. Each and every one has varying philosophies and belief systems. If we are able to draw out the wisdom in the experiences of all, that will be an excellent beginning for dialogue to commence on the bigger picture of the importance wisdom. Jarvis (2011) cautions that whilst we can be taught about wisdom, we can only learn to be wise by embracing the experience of life itself.
As a progressive, I do subscribe to the notion that wisdom should be borne out of experience, it is by doing that we learn. I believe in making meaning through my experience.
References
Cassidy, C. (2016, March 28). Defining wisdom [Video file]. Retrieved from https://evidencebasedwisdom.com/2016/03/28/ebw-animations-series-defining-wisdom/
Dodson, E. (2015, July 6). Wisdom and education [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBa7rGQXupU
Jarvis, P. (2011), Teaching, learning, and the human quest: Wisdom. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2011: 85–93. doi:10.1002/ace.424
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