Dialectics and Wisdom

Ira Gollobin

pp. 246-259

in: Bertell Ollman, Tony Smith (eds), Dialectics for the new century, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2008

Abstract

Wisdom is seldom even mentioned in presentations of dialectical materialism, let alone treated as a constituent part of its subject matter.¹ Yet wisdom is not a mere adornment or contrived appendage to an exposition of dialectical materialism, but an integral component, essential to round out, to complete its wholeness. The rationale for studying it is that the aspects of dialectical materialism are very general constituents of wisdom and that wisdom involves a vital sphere, an integral level of their exemplification. Knowledge of these aspects is invaluable in guiding thought (the intellect and the feelings) to a high level of rationality, to a totality, a fullness of farseeing profound insights characteristic of wisdom. In providing the very general underpinning for a scientific approach to wisdom, philosophy returns to its classic form of genesis as a sense of wonder and love of wisdom, but enriched by the content of thought garnered during the intervening millennia.