unit six knowledge and wisdom by bertrand russell

Unit six

Knowledge and Wisdom By Bertrand Russell

Pre-reading questions

1.What kind of people is considered wise? Cite some examples. And what are the elements that constitute wisdom?

2.How can you become wise? Do you think what you are doing in college contributes to wisdom?

What is wisdom?

• Wisdom is a concept of personal gaining of knowledge, understanding, experience, discretion 辨别力 , and intuitive understanding, along with a capacity to apply these qualities well towards finding solutions to problems. It is the judicious and purposeful application of knowledge that is valued in society. To some extent the terms wisdom and intelligence have similar and overlapping meanings. The status of wisdom or prudence as a virtue is recognized in cultural, philosophical and religious sources.

Bertrand Russell

• Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, social reformist, and pacifist. Russell has been considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy. He also was a prominent anti-war activist, championing free trade between nations and anti-imperialism. He campaigned against Adolf Hitler, for nuclear disarmament, and against the United State of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1950, Russell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, “in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought.”

Background information

• Russell was twice imprisoned for activities associated with advocacy of pacifism(1918), and with the anti-nuclear movement (1961).

• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950.

Hegel

• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), German philosopher. In his Science of Logic (1812-1816), Hegel described the three-stage process of dialectical reasoning, on which Marx based his theory of dialectical materialism. He believed that history, the evolution of ideas, and human consciousness all develop through idealist dialectical process as part of the Absolute or God coming to know itself. He also had great influence on European and US philosophy with books such as The Phenomenology of the Mind.

Proverbs on wisdom

• 1. To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding.

• 要使人晓得智慧和训诲 , 分辨通达的言语。

• 2. Wisdom is not like money to be tied up and hidden. (Akan Proverb)

• 智能不像金钱，不能捆起来藏着。

Background information (4)

• 3. Wisdom is more to be envied than riches. • 知识可羡，胜于财富。• 4. Wisdom comes form extensive observati

on and broad knowledge. • 聪明来自于见多识广 . • 5. Wisdom in the mind is better than mone

y in the hand. 胸中有知识，胜于手中有钱。

Background information (5)

• 6.Doubt is the key of knowledge. 怀疑是知识之钥。

• 7. If you want knowledge,you must toil for it. 若要求知识，须从勤苦得。

• 8.A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. 浅学误人。

• 9. Learn wisdom by the follies of others. 从旁人的愚行中学到聪明。

• 10. Wisdom is to the mind what health is to the body.

知识之于精神，一如健康之于肉体。

Structure analysis of the text (1)

• The text is neatly structured, with the first paragraph introducing the topic and the other paragraphs elaborating on it. Each of the four paragraphs discusses one factor that contributes to wisdom.

• By mixing some unusually short sentences with the long ones, the author varies their weight and achieves emphasis and impact.


• Paragraph 1: introduce the topic.

• Paragraph 2: Of these I should put first a sense of proportion: the capacity to take account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach to each its due weight.

• Paragraph 3: There must be, also, a certain awareness of the ends of human life.

• Paragraph 4: It is needed in the choice of ends to be pursued and in emancipation from personal prejudice.

• Paragraph 5: I think the essence of wisdom is emancipation, as far as possible, from the tyranny of the here and now.


• Factors that constitute wisdom:

• 1.comprehensiveness mixed with a sense of proportion;

• 2.a full awareness of the goals of human life;

• 3.understanding;

• 4.impartiality

Comprehension questions (1)

• 1. What message does the writer try to convey with the example of technicians?

• Key: Refer to Paragraph 2. The writer tries to tell us knowledge itself cannot save the world. Knowledge without wisdom will not benefit the world and in some cases will even pose a serious threat to humanity. So a wise person has to have a comprehensive view.


• 2. How can wisdom help one in his/her pursuit of a life-long career?

• Key: Refer to Paragraph 4. Wisdom can help one in his choice of a life-long pursuit. When one has to make a major career decision, he has to consider whether it is possible to achieve what he aims at. If it is too high to be achieved, he should learn to give it up and turn to an attainable goal.


• 3.What, according to Russell, is the essence of wisdom? And how can one acquire the very essence?

• Key: Refer to Paragraph 5. According to Russell, the essence of wisdom lies in impartiality, the ability to defy the physical world. Russell believes the process of growing wise is that of tearing oneself away from the physical and emotional worlds and moving into a higher stage, the spiritual world.

Comprehension questions

• Para 1

• What view is commonly accepted in terms of knowledge and wisdom?

• Is there any orthodox definition of wisdom?

• Has the writer stated the purpose of the writing?

Language points of Text I (1)

• surpass: to do or be better than

e.g. He’s really surpassed himself this time.

Tom surpassed all expectations.

• sur-: over, above, beyond. Other examples: surcharge, surrealism

e.g. The waiter surcharged us 10% on the price of the dinner.


• correlative. adj. having or showing a relation to something else

• Rights are correlative with duties.

• correlation n.

• e.g. a high correlation between the climate and crops.

• strong/high/close/significant etc correlation

• cease: to come to an end, to stop doing something or stop happening

e.g. He never ceased from his activities as a propagandist.

The old German Empire ceased to exist in 1918.

The rain ceased and the sky cleared.

cease and desist law to stop doing sth.

cease fire! / deceased


• means: a method that enables a purpose to be fulfilled

e.g. He was prepared to use any means to get what he wanted.

This isn’t the quickest means of earning money.

*Note: It is a plural noun, but is usually treated as singular.

Comprehension questions

• Para 2-5

• 1.What factors contribute to wisdom?

• 2.What does “sense of proportion” mean?

• 3.Why is comprehensiveness an important factor that constitutes wisdom?

• 4.What does “the ends of human life” refer to ?( pa 3)

• 5.How are feelings related to wisdom?(3)

• 6.What does “convincing each that the other has only the normal share of human wickedness” mean?

• 7.What does“ This is of course a matter of degree.” mean?


• contribute to:1) to help to cause or bring about

e.g. Poor food contributed to her illness.

Drink contributed to his ruin.

Stress is a contributing factor in many illnesses.

contribute substantially/significantly/greatly etc to something

*similar expressions: lead to / foster

2) to give money, help, ideas etc to something that a lot of other people are also involved in

The volunteers contribute their own time to the project.


• 1.The proportion of women graduates has increased in recent years.

• high/large/small etc proportion• 2.What's the proportion of boys to girls in

your class?• The rewards you get in this job are in direct

proportion to the effort you put in.• Her feet are small in proportion to her

height.

• a sense of proportion: 良好的比例感• the ability to judge what is most important in

a situation

• have/keep/lose a sense of proportion

• equality in the mathematical relationship between two sets of numbers, as in the statement '8 is to 6 as 32 is to 24' [↪ ratio]

• keep something in proportion

• out of (all) proportion to/with


• take account of: to take into consideration; to consider a specified thing along with other factors before reaching a decision or taking action.

• E.g. We must take account of different opinions from all groups.

*similar expressions: take…into consideration take…into account pay attention to…


• attach due weight to: to ascribe( 归因于 )proper importance to

• 1.due: proper, adequate

e.g. They will surely meet with due punishment.

Due care must be taken while one is driving.• Owing to: due to / because of• Owing to the rain the match was cancelled.


• be engaged in: to be doing or to become involved in an activity

e.g. John is engaged in compiling a dictionary.

*similar expression: be involved in

• succeed in: to achieve what one aims or wants to do.

• unintended: unplanned, not deliberate


• populous: densely populated

-ous: characterize by; of the nature

other examples: mountainous, poisonous

• spectacular: strikingly large and obvious

-ar: of the kind specified

other example: molecular, scholar


• Composition: 1)make-up

2) 人的气质 , 性情e.g. 1) She is a woman with a touch of mad

ness in her composition.

2) moral composition 道德品质• disinterested: free of self interest (objectiv

e, impartial, unbiased)

• uninterested: not interested


• pursuit: n. the action of following somebody or something in pursuit of

e.g. The police car raced through the streets in pursuit of another car.

He met with many difficulties in his pursuit of happiness.

• pursue: vt. To try to achieve

e.g. It was wrong not to have pursued peace.


• Many eminent historians have done more harm than good ... What many eminent historians have done is more damaging than help. distort: twist

• eminent (of a person) famous and respected within a particular sphere or profession

e.g. He is eminent for his knowledge.

• similar words: well-known, celebrated, renowned, eminent, noted, legendary

• famous for doing something bad:notorious, infamous

• not famous: little-known, unknown, obscure

• a famous person: celebrity, celeb, star

• Preeminent: much more important, more powerful, or better than any others of its kind


• lack n. the state of not having enough of something; vt. to be without or deficient in;

• vi. ( + for, used in negative sentences) not to have enough of

e.g. There is no lack of entertainment aboard the ship.

Her writing lacks imagination.

She never lacks for friends.• lacking. adj. • He found himself lacking in ability.


• inculcate (to fix (ideas and principles, etc. ) in the mind of (somebody)

e.g. It's important to inculcate these ideas in the minds of the young people.

I try to inculcate a sense of responsibility in my children.

• Inculcation n. • standard-bearer: a leading figure in a

cause or movement/ a person who holds the standard


• by no means: not at all

• by all means: make sure

• emancipation from: freedom from political, moral, intellectual or social restraints offensive to reason or justice

e.g. He finally gained emancipation from the authority of his parents.

Last century witnessed the development of the emancipation of women.

• prejudice: bias


• devote ... to: to give all or a large part of one's time or resources to (a person, activity, or cause)

e.g. I want to devote myself to the work.

• confer (upon): to grant

e.g. The queen conferred knighthoods on several distinguished men.

conferred a medal on the hero; conferred an honorary degree on her.

• confer with sb. on [about] sth.

confer

• to discuss something with other people, so that everyone can express their opinions and decide on something

• Confer with conference

• confer a title/degree/honour etc on/upon

• to officially give someone a title etc, especially as a reward for something they have achieved

• put something in someone's hand:hand, pass

• officially give something to someone:award, present, grant, confer, alloc

ate

• give something to people in a group:hand out, pass around, distribute

• give to a charity: donate

• give something to people after you die:leave, pass on, bequeath( 遗赠 )


• as it was: in reality; in the actual situation (past tense of “as it is”.

*distinguish the group of expressions:• as it is: refers to what an actual situation is.

Similar expressions include: as it stands, as it turns out, as it happens.

e.g. I thought things would get better, but as it is, they are getting worse.

• as it were: as one might say; in a sort of way. "Were" here is a subjunctive form.

e.g. He became, as it were, a man without a country.


• appalling: horrifying, shocking

e.g. appalling working conditions; appalling violence.

When will this appalling war end? His ignorance is appalling. 他愚蠢到极点。

The weather was absolutely appalling.

an appallingly difficult job

He behaved appallingly.

Language points of Text I (20)[paraphrase]

“I think the essence of wisdom is emancipating, as far as possible, from the tyranny of the here and now.”

I think the essence of wisdom is to free oneself from the confinement of the physical world and the emotional world and look beyond.

• egoism / ego / egoist / egoistic• be bound up with: be involved in, dependent on,

connected with

e.g. The survival of these creatures is intimately bound up with the health of the ocean.


• impersonal: 1) objective: an impersonal discussion / remark

2) Showing no emotion or personality: an aloof, impersonal manner

3) Lacking personality; not being a person: an impersonal force

4) Not responsive to or expressive of human personalities: a large, impersonal corporation

• enmity: hostility

• instill: to gradually but firmly establish (an idea or attitude, especially a desirable one) in a person's mind

e.g. Morality should be instilled into their minds.

instill confidence/fear/discipline etc into somebody


• impartiality: the condition of treating all rivals or disputants equally

• partial—impartial

• partiality—impartiality

unit six knowledge and wisdom by bertrand russell

Documents

terms wisdom

status of wisdom

broad knowledge

little knowledge

key of knowledge

idealist dialectical

structure analysis

background informationrussell