Wisdom: A Murdochian Perspective

In this essay the focus is on Iris Murdoch's understanding of wisdom in her philosophical and literary writings. She basically understands wisdom as analogous with perception: the wise person is able to perceive the salient features of morally meaningful situations correctly. This ability is not sufficient for being wise, though, since the internal requirements of wisdom demand us to be radically open to the complexity of human existence. Ultimately, the wise person is determined as someone who is able to see the world correctly, that is, with "a just and loving gaze." It is argued that a Murdochian perspective helps us to illuminate important aspects of wisdom that are often ignored in alternative accounts.