ABSTRACT

Each culture defines wisdom differently. Wisdom can be understood from different disciplinary perspectives, including science, theology, and philosophy. This chapter explores wisdom from diverse cultural perspectives discussing the wide range of definitions and interpretations. Two widely used perspectives are Western and non-Western. Western and non-Western cultures conceptualize wisdom and the intrinsic characteristics of a wise person from their own cultural frameworks and philosophies of life. It provides examples of communities that have incorporated wisdom into their philosophy of life to maintain their ways of learning and cultural heritage. Bleyl completed a cross-cultural study of wisdom in five cultures and determined that each defined wisdom in its own way. Across these cultures, Bleyl found that people considered wise tend to be elders with perspectives shaped by life experiences. In communities that seek wisdom, different mechanisms to preserve wisdom are used, depending on the vision of what wisdom is.