ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces the premise of the book as being an exploration of an idea of wisdom and how it should be viewed as a worthy goal. This concept of wisdom is described as being very similar to, if not identical with, some ancient Greek ideas (mainly those of Aristotle and Plato) about living a good life and being a good person. Links are drawn between this book and other efforts in reviving ancient Greek ethics, particularly ‘philosophy as a way of life’, within which this book can be usefully situated. Is wisdom just a matter of intelligence? What has intelligence got to do with being a good person? This introduction will raise and suggest some of the core questions which are tackled in subsequent chapters and lead towards the central concern of moral knowledge.