Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Practical judgment; the faculty of conducting one's self wisely.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun philosophy The virtue of "practical wisdom" as posited by Aristotle.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek φρόνησις (phronēsis, "practical wisdom"), from φρονεῖν (phronein, "to think"), from φρήν (phrēn, "mind").

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Examples

  • This last explanation seems decidedly preferable because the terms here used, particularly the word phronesis prudence, is not in its ordinary sense properly referable to God.

    A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians 1797-1878 1860

  • They leave out something essential--what classical philosopher Aristotle called practical wisdom his word was phronesis.

    Barry Schwartz: Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing Barry Schwartz 2011

  • With wisdom the apostle connects phronesis, which is here used much in the same sense as sunesis in Col. 1, 9, ` That ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. '

    A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians 1797-1878 1860

  • Pickstock argues that these two responsibilities are bridged with the notion of phronesis or prudence:

    TELOSscope: The Telos Press blog Philip Crone <telosscope@telospress.com> 2009

  • Aristotle called it "phronesis," or practical wisdom.

    Q&A: What Would Plato Have Done? 2007

  • He takes issue with Bent Flyvbjerg's book, Making Social Science Matter: Why Social Inquiry Fails and How it Can Succeed Again, and his advocacy of "phronesis".

    Archive 2008-04-01 Daniel Little 2008

  • He takes issue with Bent Flyvbjerg's book, Making Social Science Matter: Why Social Inquiry Fails and How it Can Succeed Again, and his advocacy of "phronesis".

    The Perestroika debate in political science Daniel Little 2008

  • Matt, that makes me think maybe there is something to the notion of phronesis, which can be identified here by its complete absence.

    Discourse.net: Let's Ban Footnotes Too! 2009

  • Overall we need to remember that knowledge management is, to use the Greek, a matter of phronesis or practical wisdom; its the exercise of judgement and that can only be developed in action through the acquisition of habits.

    Archive 2009-03-01 enowning 2009

  • Overall we need to remember that knowledge management is, to use the Greek, a matter of phronesis or practical wisdom; its the exercise of judgement and that can only be developed in action through the acquisition of habits.

    enowning enowning 2009

Comments

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  • the new phronesis in modernist studies

    February 4, 2007

  • Of wisdom's constituent pieces

    A chief is well-practiced noesis.

    So nurse your capacity

    For healthy sagacity

    And nourish your skill at phronesis.

    March 22, 2016

  • Great qms limerick below. Banger.

    March 25, 2024

  • Bilby, you should add it to the list: best-of-qms-f3E-ECnAs3S

    March 26, 2024

  • Good call zu-keeper.

    March 27, 2024