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

Acquiring knowledge of all kinds is always positive, but they 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 They 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, of knowing how to choose between right and wrong: the phronesis. Although it is difficult to translate the term, understanding the concept of it is not that complicated, thanks mainly to the much that Aristotle and other philosophers commented on what the phronesis was. Let's take a closer look at it.

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What is phronesis?

The phronesis (from Φρόνησις, “phronēsis”) is a very 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, he would be able to function in different life situations with total success.

There is no exact translation for the phronesis into our language, some of the proposals being “practical wisdom” and “prudence”, with the opposite meaning to that of “hybris” or “excess”. Regardless of how you prefer to translate, phronesis and prudence are two related ideas. In fact, the Spanish word "prudencia" comes from the Latin "prudentia" which, in turn, derives from "phronesis".

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 "mindfulness" or "mindfulness."

The first great philosopher to speak of Phronesis was Socrates, who considered it a sort of summation of all the virtues of the human being. Later, Plato also alluded to the phronesis in his work "Meno", where he defines it as "moral understanding" and considers it the most important attribute of all that could be learned. But Plato also clarifies that the phronesis cannot be taught, but rather is the result of a deep knowledge of oneself.

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Aristotle's phronesis

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

The sofía would be the knowledge or wisdom more of a theoretical type, the data that one learns throughout 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.

Instead, the phronesis corresponded to materialized wisdom. It did not consist of the simple application of knowledge, but also demanded the ability to decide to achieve a specific end. Also for Aristotle, this was the virtue to choose the application of knowledge based on the highest possible good and to acquire a full life. So it is an ethical virtue.

Aristotle also associated phronesis with politics. In this case, the wisdom it should be applied for the common good and good governance of city-states. According to this philosopher, whoever possessed this virtue would have the ability to become the ideal leader for any group. Who shows a lot of phronesis means that he not only has knowledge, but also good sense and prudence in the decisions that are made.

Although Aristotle confessed that the sophia was higher and more serious than the phronesis, the search for higher wisdom and happiness requires both. For him, the phronesis facilitated the achievement of Sofia.

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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 "conduct" and refers to the way of being, specifically to moral behavior. The three components of this ethos would be the phronesis, the arete and the eunoia.

The areté is the will of excellence. It would be what people have who are trained to think, speak and act successfully. In turn, the areté was determined by three virtues:

• Andreía ​​(courage)
• Sofrosine (balance)
• Dicaiosine (justice)

As for the eunoia, this word referred to goodwill 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 the phronesis, which would not be the result of good character formation as would be the case with areté and eunoia, but would be the result of experience. It is for this reason that Aristotle believed that the phronesis could not be present in a young person, because he has not lived long enough as to have acquired it.

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An intellectual virtue

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

While the areté allows to establish noble ends and high purposes, the phronesis allows to choose the just means and 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 involves sharp reflection before daring to do something and is not repetitive.

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

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The phronesis made man: Pericles

One of the most important personages of Classical Antiquity was the Athenian hero Pericles. This almost mythological character is the living materialization of what the 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 this in one of the most culturally and militarily critical moments in the history of Athens.

His life is legendary, highlighting being a participant in two of the most important conflicts in classical Greece: the Medical Wars and those of the Peloponnese. He managed to perform heroically in a war campaign and was very active in the life of his city thanks to the fact that he served as a great ruler. His powers of persuasion and intellect, combined, made anyone follow him with blind faith. Through his word and his cunning, he achieved everything he set out to do. He was the prototype of what a wise man should be, the phronesis made man.