Cycle 15 · 5 May 2026The foundations of the Platonic and Aristotelian distinction- 2:30Brahmanism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, Sufism are wisdoms and not philosophies, inhabited by a profound certainty, without value judgment.
Wisdom
Worked through in 11 videos · 12 passages.
Summary
Dominique Pagani starts from the double meaning of the Greek sophia, which is translated either as knowledge or as wisdom. The two terms can be opposed: the scholar says what is, the sage says what I must do, in the practical order1. Wisdom concerns desires. For marriage or war, one consults a sage and not a scholar, and the most learned person is not the best counsellor2. To know what one must do, an illiterate sage is therefore no worse placed than a Nobel laureate in physics3. According to him, philosophy aims at both knowledge and wisdom; otherwise it would belong to the CNRS. He distinguishes it from the Eastern wisdoms (Taoism, Confucianism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Zen, Sufism). These give answers, rest on a deep certainty and make no value judgement. Philosophy, by contrast, is love, and thus desire for and search for wisdom4. He also mentions "eternal wisdom" in the sense of an omniscience in which everything has its place.
- 1#9.11 How can sciences of history be real?7 Jan 2021 · 1:06:22
- 2D for Desire17 Dec 2014 · 8:07
- 3Neither left nor right? Islamo-leftism?17 Oct 2023 · 1:00:50
- 4The foundations of the Platonic and Aristotelian distinction5 May 2026 · 2:30
Summary produced automatically from 13 of the passages below, to be reviewed; the numbers link to the moment in the session.
Cycle 15 · 5 May 2026The foundations of the Platonic and Aristotelian distinction
Cycle 15 · 13 Apr 2026Language and thought: the case of Lavoisier- 4:25Taoism, Confucianism, Brahmanism are wisdoms, not philosophies: they begin straightaway with being, without value judgment.
Talks · 2 Dec 2024Napoleon, or the reasons of cunning- 33:53Sophia contains both knowledge and wisdom: philosophy seeks to know what makes us free.
Cycle 12 · 17 Oct 2023Neither left nor right? Islamo-leftism?- 1:00:50To know what I must do, an illiterate sage is no worse placed than a Nobel Prize winner in physics.
Series · 3 Aug 2022Schubert: the divine captives- 10:51The same wisdom, "all that is nothing," is intolerable in the indifferent but becomes sweet in the mouth of the little phrase.
Cycle 9.2 · 4 Mar 2021#9.16 How can sciences of history be real?
Cycle 9.2 · 7 Jan 2021#9.11 How can sciences of history be real?- 1:06:22Sophia translates as knowledge or wisdom, which can be opposed: the scholar says what is, the sage says what I must do, in the practical order.
Cycle 9.1 · 6 Nov 2020#3 Benefits and harms of amnesia…- 19:16"This is the end of eternal wisdom": wisdom in the sense of knowledge, of omniscience in which everything has its place.
Cycle 5.2 · 4 Feb 2019#5.4 Nature or landscape?- 1:44:21Philosophy seeks the universal and the necessary, against the dogmatist and the skeptic, on good and evil; the ignorant may have a wisdom the learned man lacks.
Cycle 2 · 1 Aug 2017#2.6 Between crisis and war: philosophising?- 9:35Sophia is knowledge and wisdom: the philosopher seeks a knowledge that answers "what must I do?", otherwise philosophy would belong at the CNRS.
Series · 17 Dec 2014D for Desire- 7:38Philosophy seeks sophia, not only knowledge but wisdom, which concerns desires: for marriage or war one consults a wise person, not a scholar.