The Problem with Wisdom

To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth---
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I am inspired by these ancient sayings to realize a long-time dream: to reason in writing about wisdom--an understanding of human nature. Writing is a process that always has bothered me. My mind tends to branch at most conceivable points and it is only with considerable efforts that I am able to trim the sails and productively harness that wind. But with God's help, I begin my first contemplation, To Know Wisdom. 

Every page in this blog will contain a series of controversial words: to know wisdom. You might say, but who would argue with that?

The refutation of knowing wisdom is not widely realized. Nevertheless, it is the logical outcome of common points of view.


Three powerful ideas in contemporary culture independently refute that wisdom exists and can be known. 
(1) Postmodernism--We can't get out of our metanarrative.
(2) Scientism--We can only know things with our five senses.
(3) Darwinian Evolution--Human beings were created by purely unguided random processes.
*Note: there are stronger and weaker versions of each. I do not believe I am misrepresenting any of these views; please let me know if you think I am* 


(1) Postmodernism--We can't get out of our metanarrative. This means that we are hopelessly disconnected from being able to know reality. Hence, if there was a human nature to understand--gain wisdom about--then we could never know it. 
(2) Scientism--Which of the five senses--sight, smell, taste, touch, or hearing--is able to reliably detect wisdom on its own? 
(3) Darwinian Evolution--For evolution, species do not actually exist, but merely describe a point on a continuum of biological change. Species may stay roughly similar at points but there is no nature. There can be no human nature to understand. Why would we expect there to be rules for wise living if humans themselves could have turned out many other ways, not being constrained by a nature in any way?  


These are three common paradigms that will not allow wisdom's project to begin. 


Next time, I will consider how each of these paradigms fail.