Phronesis: what is this human virtue according to the Greek philosophers?

Let's see what phronesis is, a set of qualities highly valued by thinkers such as Aristotle.

Acquiring knowledge of all kinds is always positive, but it will not bring us happiness if we do not know how to use it. Wisdom, prudence and good sense are inherent aspects of a happy life, and they are not things that can be taught but are acquired through experience and over the years.

The ancient Greeks had a word to describe this kind of practical wisdom, knowing how to choose between right and wrong: phronesis.. While it is difficult to translate the term, understanding its concept is not so complicated, thanks mainly to how much Aristotle and other philosophers commented on what phronesis was. Let's take a closer look.

What is phronesis?

Phronesis (from Φρόνησις, "phronēsis") is a widespread concept in Greek philosophy.. It was developed especially by Aristotle in his "Nicomachean Ethics", where he considered it to be one of the great virtues of the human being. The ancient Greeks thought that phronesis was part of the arts of good living and that, whoever had this property, would be able to manage in different situations of life with total success.

There is no exact translation for phronesis in our language, some of the proposals being "practical wisdom" and "prudence", with the opposite meaning of "hibris" or "immoderation". Regardless of how one prefers to translate, phronesis and prudence are two related ideas. In fact, the Spanish word "prudencia" comes from the Spanish word "prudencia", the Spanish word "prudencia" comes from the Latin "prudentia" which, in turn, derives from "phrónesis", "prudencia" and "prudencia"..

It would also be related to the word "phroneo" (to understand) and to the Latin "providentia" (to anticipate). Thomas McEvilley proposed that it be translated as "full consciousness" or "mindfulness".

The first great philosopher to speak of phronesis was Socrates, who considered it a sort of sum of all the virtues of the human being. Later, Plato also alluded to phronesis in his work "Menon", where he defined it as "moral understanding" and considered it to be the most important attribute of all human beings. the most important attribute of all those that can be learned.. But Plato also clarifies that phronesis cannot be taught, but is rather the fruit of a deep knowledge of oneself.

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Aristotle's phronesis.

As we have mentioned, the philosopher who most developed the concept of phronesis was Aristotle. For this philosopher originally from Stagira, this was. a form of wisdom different from "sophia," that is, from the universal knowledge proper to science..

Sophia would be the more theoretical type of knowledge or wisdom, the data that one learns in the course of learning from books, people or events in nature. Sophia is a combination of "nous," which is the ability to discern reality, and "episteme," a type of knowledge that is logically constructed and can be taught.

Phronesis, on the other hand, corresponded to materialized wisdom. It did not consist in the simple application of knowledge, but also demanded the ability to decide in order to achieve a particular end.. Also for Aristotle, this was the virtue to choose the application of knowledge for the greatest possible good and to acquire a full life. Thus, it is an ethical virtue.

Aristotle also associated phronesis with politics. In this case, wisdom was to be applied for the common good and good government of the city-states.. According to this philosopher, he who possessed this virtue would have the capacity to become the ideal leader for any collective. Whoever shows much phronesis means that he not only possesses knowledge, but also wisdom and prudence in the decisions that are made.

While Aristotle confessed that sophia was higher and more serious than phronesis, the pursuit of high wisdom and happiness requires both. For him, phronesis facilitated the attainment of sophia.

Phronesis and ethics

In relation to ethics, Aristotle pointed out that there are three ways to appeal to character or "ethos".. This word means in ancient Greek "custom" or "behaviors" and refers to the way of being, specifically to moral behavior. The three components of this ethos would be phronesis, areté and eunoia.

Areté is the will to excellence. It would be that which is available to people who are trained to think, speak and act successfully. In turn, areté was determined by three virtues:

• Andreia (courage)
• Sophrosine (balance)
• Dicaiosine (justice)

As for the eunoia this word referred to the good will towards the source. It could be seen as a synonym for nobility and, in more modern terms, as empathy.

Finally, in this theory we have phronesis, which would not be the fruit of good character formation as would be the case of areté and eunoia, but would be the result of experience. It is for this reason that Aristotle was of the opinion that phronesis could not be present in a young person, since he has not lived long enough to have acquired it. to have acquired it.

An intellectual virtue

Aristotle indicated that phronesis was a virtue proper to intelligence, which would make it possible to decide properly between right and wrong things, with the purpose of achieving personal and collective happiness. It was an intellectual attribute that was present in concrete facts, not in potentials. It implies the mobilization of knowledge, but not universal, but contextual, based on the demands of the time and place. It is, in short, an intelligent and contextual use of what is known, of experience..

While areté makes it possible to establish noble ends and high purposes, phronesis makes it possible to choose the right means and to carry out what is necessary to achieve them. It would not be a skill because that is a talent or skill, something that implies doing things with sufficiency and that has been perfected. Phronesis implies making a sharp reflection before daring to do something and it is not repetitive.

Aristotle thought that phronesis was a necessary condition for happiness and a necessary condition for happiness. a necessary condition to be happy and a fundamental characteristic to have social credibility, to be followed by the crowds.to be followed by the crowds and respected as well. It implies having an educated mind, lucid, but practical at the same time and with a high dose of common sense. It is the virtue of the leaders and the people with a high power of persuasion.

The phronesis made man: Pericles

One of the most important characters of the Classical Antiquity was the Athenian hero Pericles.. This almost mythological character is the living materialization of what phronesis is, so much so that his own name in classical Greek means "surrounded by glory". And it is not surprising because he was everything: lawyer, magistrate, general, politician and orator, all in one of the most culturally and militarily high points of the history of Athens.

His life is the stuff of legends, especially his participation in two of the most important conflicts of classical Greece: the Medical Wars and the Peloponnesian Wars. He managed to perform heroically in war campaigns and was very active in the life of his city thanks to the fact that he was a great ruler. His power of persuasion and intellect, combined, made anyone follow him with blind faith. By means of his words and his cunning, he achieved everything he set out to do. He was the prototype of what a wise man should be, phronesis made man.