Summary of Bertrand Russell's Knowledge and Wisdom

Introduction

Bertrand Russell is a modern philosopher, educationist and an essayist.  He was awarded Nobel Prize for literature.  He is also a famous mathematician.  In the essay, Knowledge and Wisdom, he defines and differentiates knowledge and wisdom.  He talks in detail about the need of wisdom compared with growing knowledge. 

 

Knowledge without Wisdom

Bertrand Russell begins the essay by saying that everyone should agree that human beings progressing with knowledge but there is only little growth in wisdom.  To define wisdom, we should take several factors into consideration.  The first factor is the sense of proportion.  By this Russell means that we have take into consideration all the possible factors attached to a problem.  To explain this Russell gives two examples.  The first one is during a medical research to reduce infant death rate, if we are successful in finding a medicine, it would be a trouble in over populated countries.  It would lead to starvation and low standards of living.  The second example is when we are busy with atomic research, which could also be used to destroy people.  Knowledge when used without wisdom is harmful.

 

The Need of Wisdom

Comprehensiveness with a broad mind would result in wisdom.  Knowledge is very narrow and it should be combined with wisdom, which is broad and knows about the end of human life.  This could be learnt from history.  For example Hegel gained much knowledge and came with a great philosophy.  The Germans used it to lead a war.  Hegel’s knowledge has become very narrow because it did not think about the end of human life.  It is for this reason we need wisdom.

 

Wisdom in Personal Life

Wisdom is also essential for our personal life.  It is essential for us get rid of our personal prejudices.  Though it is hard to be free from personal prejudice, one must try to achieve it.  Russell gives an ordinary example of two persons, who hate each other.  Both persons abuse each other in the same way.  They may be prejudiced.  If we have enough patience and explain them of their personal prejudices, they may become friends and lead a happy life.  This is possible because of wisdom.

 

Wisdom is Emancipation

We look at world through our senses and we are all selfish.  Russell wants us to come out of our ego.  When we are infants we give importance to our senses of hunger and cry, but as we grow we get more wisdom.  Similarly, we should grow out our ego.  This might happen when we stop thinking of here and now.

 

Russell about Wisdom

Russell says that wisdom should be one of the aims of education.  He uses the story of the Good Samaritan, who loves good and bad people.  We listen to this story in this church but we never behave like a Good Samaritan because we hate our neighbours and the people who are bad in the society.  This hatred makes us harmful.  He gives the example of Queen Elizabeth I, King Henry IV and Abraham Lincoln, who were not harmful to the people because of their wisdom.

 

Conclusion

Russell concludes the essay by saying that wisdom can be taught.  While improving our knowledge we learn about hatred and narrow-mindedness.  Knowledge must be taught along with morals, which would make us citizens of the world.  Such knowledge should be taught along with wisdom.