Wisdom, Complexity, and Adult Education: Emerging Theory and Meanings for Practice

This paper discusses various conceptions of wisdom in order to foster theory development of what it means to access and act with wisdom, as well as to educate adults in a way that fosters wisdom in a complex world. Keywords: wisdom, complexity science, and spirituality

Enhancing academic development practice: reclaiming academic practice wisdom

The growing impetus for science-based or evidence-based practices in higher education are shaping conceptions of the nature and role of professional practice and raising new concerns about what it means to be adequately prepared and what it means for practitioners to learn. But the practices of teaching are moral-political, not simply scientific or technical undertakings. This seminar will explore the concept of academic practice wisdom and values and how these might be reclaimed and developed

Sophia's window : practice wisdom and selecting better paths = La ventana de Sofía : sabiduría práctica y selección de mejores vías

Este artículo presenta nuevas perspectivas sobre la sabiduría práctica, reconocida desde hace muchas décadas en el trabajo social. El artículo sugiere que las definiciones tradicionales son inadecuadas y que definiciones más contemporáneas que incluyan nuevas maneras de reconocer el significado de la narración, así también como las contribuciones de la neurociencia cognitiva, ampliarán la comprensión profesional de la sabiduría práctica.________________________________This article presents new perspectives on wisdom in general and on social work practice wisdom in particular. It is argued that current conceptions of practice wisdom are inadequate and that definitions which include pattern recognition and narrative as well as cognitive neuroscience can revitalize our understanding of practice wisdom

Challenging accepted wisdom about conceptions of teaching in academic development

In recent years, conceptions of teaching held by academic staff have achieved an increased focus in the scholarly and practical work of teaching developers. Views on the impact of conceptions of teaching on improving university teaching, as well as their significance in doing so, vary from those that advocate changing conceptions as a necessary first step in the process of improvement to more recent views that characterize conceptions of teaching as merely artifacts of reflection on teaching. This paper explores this range of views, raises a number of questions about the current accepted views on the importance of conceptions of teaching development work, and challenges the current accepted wisdom in this important area

The Rhetorical Phronimos: Political Wisdom in Postmodernity

To formulate a contemporary conception of political wisdom, this essay combines recent philosophical attacks on the rational subject with Aristotle’s notion of phronesis, or “practical” wisdom. Aristotle maintained that the phronimos is one who, through virtuous character, negotiates the uncertain political realm through the wise use of the rhetorical arts. Modern and postmodern theories, however, have profoundly complicated notions of meaning, identity and rationality, hence conceptions of knowledge and virtuous character. After a review of some of these theories, the essay concludes with a brief re-articulation of phronesis as political wisdom

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThis dissertation explores the role of professional self-conceptions on ethical behavior. Relying on recent literature on licensing, contrary to conventional wisdom, I suggest that professional self-conceptions lead individuals to engage in unethical behaviors. The results of Study 1 demonstrated that professional self-conceptions license individuals to act unethically. Study 2 tested for differential effect of accessibility of professional self-conceptions versus concept of professionalism and showed that seeing oneself as a professional, and not the accessibility of the concept of professionalism per se, is needed to license unethical acts. Study 3, a field study, showed that membership in occupations traditionally associated with professions compared to other occupations led to higher unethical behaviors and professional selfconceptions mediated the effect of occupational membership on unethical behaviors. Together, the results of three studies demonstrate that professional self-conceptions, either measured or manipulated, can license individuals to act unethically. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed

Plato on Well-Being

Plato's dialogues use several terms for the concept of well-being, which concept plays a central ethical role as the ultimate goal for action and a central political role as the proper aim for states. But the dialogues also reveal sharp debate about what human well-being is. I argue that they endorse a Socratic conception of well-being as virtuous activity, by considering and rejecting several alternatives, including an ordinary conception that lists a variety of goods, a Protagorean conception that identifies one's well-being with what appears one to be one's well-being, and hedonistic conceptions

Plato on Well-Being

Plato's dialogues use several terms for the concept of well-being, which concept plays a central ethical role as the ultimate goal for action and a central political role as the proper aim for states. But the dialogues also reveal sharp debate about what human well-being is. I argue that they endorse a Socratic conception of well-being as virtuous activity, by considering and rejecting several alternatives, including an ordinary conception that lists a variety of goods, a Protagorean conception that identifies one's well-being with what appears one to be one's well-being, and hedonistic conceptions