"Why does practical wisdom seem more important in daily life if philosophy is greater? The answer is simple:
Both types of wisdom are important.
• Practical wisdom helps us not just understand what is good, but actually do good things.
• Wisdom is about living rightly, not just knowing what is right."
-The Nichomachean Ethics - For Everyone, Aristotle, Kindle Edition, pg. 101
"Good decisions are different from science. Science seeks fixed truths, but decisions must adapt to changing situations. It is not the same as guessing, because good decisions require time and thought, while guesses are often quick and random.
There are different kinds of correct thinking, but not all of them lead to wise decisions:
• A clever but selfish person might plan something harmful very well. Even though their thinking is correct, they are not using wisdom for good.
• A person might make the right choice but for the wrong reasons. This is still not true wisdom.
• Someone might think too long about a simple choice. True wisdom is about knowing the right thing to do, at the right time, in the right way."
-The Nichomachean Ethics - For Everyone, Aristotle, Kindle Edition, pg.100-101
“Philosophic wisdom is the highest kind of wisdom because it combines:
1 Scientific knowledge – Knowing universal truths.
2 Intuitive reason – Understanding first principles.
Philosophic wisdom aims to grasp the biggest, most important truths.
Anaxagoras and Thales were called wise. This wasn't due to practicality. Instead, they grasped deep, complex truths about the universe.
However, philosophic wisdom is not the same as practical wisdom.
• Philosophic wisdom seeks knowledge for its own sake.
• Practical wisdom helps us make good choices in life.”
-The Nichomachean Ethics - For Everyone, Aristotle, Kindle Edition, pg. 98
"Scientific knowledge helps us understand what is always true. But science needs a foundation—it must start from basic truths that cannot be proven by science itself.
These first principles—the foundation of all knowledge—cannot come from:
• Science – Science relies on logic to prove facts, but it must begin with basic truths that cannot be proven.
• Art or practical wisdom deals with things that change. First principles are truths that do not change.
So, how do we know these first truths? We understand them through intuitive reason (nous). This means we can quickly recognize basic truths without needing proof."
-The Nichomachean Ethics - For Everyone, Aristotle, Kindle Edition, pg. 97
“Practical wisdom (phronesis) helps people make smart choices in life.
Practical wisdom differs from science. Science is about facts. Practical wisdom considers the circumstances.
How is practical wisdom different from art?
• Art is about producing something external—like a painting, a house, or a sculpture. Its value comes from the finished product.
• Practical wisdom is about acting wisely in real-life situations. A good action is valuable in itself, not because it creates something tangible.
Leaders like Pericles, who was from Athens, were seen as wise. They knew what was good for themselves and what benefited the whole community.
Practical wisdom also requires self-control (sophrosyne). People ruled by pleasure or pain can lose sight of what truly matters. If someone lets emotions take over, they forget why they made a decision in the first place.
Practical wisdom differs from art. In art, a skilled person can make deliberate mistakes. But in practical wisdom, a truly wise person would never choose poorly on purpose.”
-The Nichomachean Ethics - For Everyone, Aristotle, Kindle Edition, pg. 97
"Scientific knowledge is about facts that never change. That’s what makes it different from opinions, which can be wrong or change over time.
Because science is based on facts, it is permanent and unchanging. It must also be something we can learn and teach, which happens in two ways:
• Induction – Looking at examples and figuring out general rules.
• Deduction – Using general rules to make conclusions.
Scientific knowledge can be defined as: 'A way of thinking that helps us understand and explain the truth.' "
-The Nichomachean Ethics - For Everyone, Aristotle, Kindle Edition, pg. 95
"The Five Intellectual Virtues
There are five main ways our mind finds truth:
1. Art (Techne) – Knowing how to make things.
2. Scientific Knowledge (Episteme) – Knowing facts that always stay the same.
3. Practical Wisdom (Phronesis) – Knowing how to make good choices.
4. Philosophic Wisdom (Sophia) – The deepest kind of wisdom.
5. Intuitive Reason (Nous) – The skill to grasp simple truths right away.
We don’t include opinions because they can be wrong. Real intellectual virtues must lead to the truth."
-The Nichomachean Ethics - For Everyone, Aristotle, Kindle Edition, pg. 94