A Handbook of Wisdom
Psychological Perspectives

This 2005 book gives an in-depth understanding of philosophical, psychological, and religious theories of wisdom.

Robert Sternberg (Edited by), Jennifer Jordan (Edited by)

9780521834018, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 June 2005

406 pages, 4 b/w illus. 9 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.7 cm, 0.77 kg

"Wisdom appears to have much to do with outstanding futures-thinking, and thus in a very broad sense can be seen as a method to be cultivated."
-Future Survey

A topic ignored in mainstream scientific inquiry for decades, wisdom is beginning to return to the place of reverence that it held in ancient schools of intellectual study. A Handbook of Wisdom, first published in 2005, explores wisdom's promise for helping scholars and lay people to understand the apex of human thought and behavior. At a time when poor choices are being made by notably intelligent and powerful individuals, this book presents analysis and review on a form of reasoning and decision-making that is not only productive and prudent, but also serves a beneficial purpose for society. A Handbook of Wisdom is a collection of chapters from some of the most prominent scholars in the field of wisdom research. Written from multiple perspectives, including psychology, philosophy, and religion, this book gives the reader an in-depth understanding of wisdom's past, present, and possible future direction within literature, science, and society.

Foreword Monika Ardelt
Part I. Theories of Wisdom across Time, Culture, and Peoples: 1. Wisdom in history James E. Birren and Cheryl M. Svensson
2. Cultural foundations of wisdom: an integrated developmental approach Masami Takahashi and Willis F. Overton
3. Philosophical theories of wisdom Lisa M. Osbeck and Daniel N. Robinson
4. From the inside out: people's implicit theories of wisdom Susan Bluck and Judith Glück
5. The psychology of wisdom: theoretical and empirical challenges Ute Kunzmann and Paul B. Baltes
Part II. The Development of Wisdom across the Lifespan: 6. Young and growing wiser: wisdom during adolescence and young adulthood M. J. Richardson and M. Pasupathi
7. The quest for wisdom in adulthood: a psychological perspective Jennifer Jordan
Part III. Wisdom and the Person: 8. Wisdom and personality Ursula M. Staudinger, Jessica DÖrner and Charlotte Mickler
9. The role of emotions in the development of wisdom Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura
Part IV. Wisdom in Society: 10. Morality, ethics, and wisdom Joel J. Kupperman
11. Crossing boundaries to generative wisdom: an analysis of professional work Jeffrey L. Solomon, Paula Marshall and Howard Gardner
12. Wisdom in public policy Lloyd S. Etheredge
Part V. The Absence of Wisdom: 13. Foolishness Robert J. Sternberg
Discussion Warren Brown.

Subject Areas: Psychology [JM], Philosophy [HP]