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Wisdom finds truth

The nature of both wisdom and truth is highly subjective which means the basic or inherent character of the two is influenced by personal feelings or opinions. Perhaps this is the reason while in his search for truth for six years, Gautama could not find the answer to end suffering although he took the help of the wisest teachers of the time. He realised that enlightenment was beyond objective facts. That “beyond” has always been wisdom. Wisdom is about the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement. This quality could make a person inventor, innovator and/or discoverer irrespective of his or her work domain which could be either physical or metaphysical or both. One of the best examples is Albert Einstein. He is not only best known for his theory of relativity and the equation E=MC2 but also for his wisdom quotes such as “Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” Under normal conditions, anything which is true or by fact or reality is the truth. We use different expressions for it like the fact of the matter, what actually happened, the case, facts, certainty, authenticity etc., though the truth giving meaning to human life is evolutionary assertion dependent on the essence of the subject. And to acknowledge the essence of any subject, wisdom is a prerequisite. Thus searching for truth involves wisdom as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence. It is difficult to find the truth without wisdom. We, at large, know ethics of the Bhagavad Gita. It talks about the truths which are universal so they have universal application. These truths are (1) Immortality of the Soul, (2) Immanence of God, (3) Impermanence of the world, (4) Immediacy of Liberation. But how many of us really recognize the doctrine of the Immanence of God? We know, God is the Indweller of everyone. He is the witness of our thoughts. People around us watch our actions and hear our words, whereas God watches not only our actions, but the motives and intentions that prompt them. Despite this, the most common thing, anywhere and everywhere, we face is the trust deficit. Knowing the truth is not about finding it. To find the truth one has to recognize it. Recognizing truth requires realising wisdom which means a blend of experience, knowledge, and good judgement about the subject has utmost importance. To recognize the doctrine of the Immanence of God necessitates realizing wisdom related to it. That is what Lord Krishna answers in chapter three, verses 37 and 38 (Bhagavadgita). Only wisdom makes us understand that it is lust which later transformed into wrath, which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world. As fire is covered by smoke, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of lust. Greed, dishonesty and corruption are all by-products of this lust. To be happy, successful and well situated in real terms, the Gita says, one must control different degrees of different dimensions of lust. A person who understands it will try to experience it, consequently he would find the truth behind the life. Similarly ‘integrity’ is the virtue. That is its truth. However it is not that simple. This truth has no dimension unless a person doesn’t practice what one preaches. Or more importantly, practicing what one believes is right. To ascertain something right, a person needs wisdom which designates a ‘man of principle’ as not a man who understands a principle, but a man who understands, accepts, and lives by a principle. Here, too, wisdom and truth seem inseparable. Consider the most crucial part of life called stress. The prevailing truth regarding stress is misleading where mostly we believe that the environment controls events. Psychologically, the stress we feel is often based on our individual perception of a situation and this is why some people suffer more than others. The person having wisdom or quality of being wise, will suffer less, as American psychologist Julian Rotter describes this as our ‘locus of control’ or the extent to which an individual feels that they have control over a situation. Wisdom can make locus of control internal, in that we believe we have control over our lives, so could manage our stress. Even this is the very idea reflecting through the Pillars of Indian Culture: Ṛta, Ṛṇa, Dharma. The awareness of ṛta (cosmic law: when we realize ṛta, the value of the whole of creation, we are humbled and naturally become more caring towards the universe) leads to the realization of ṛṇa (the word ṛṇa refers to ‘being in debt’ – of a physical, monetary kind, every human being by birth carries this baggage of ṛṇa), which in turn motivates one to pursue dharma. The way to clear ṛṇa is by adhering to dharma. Knowledge of Ṛta and Ṛṇa is wisdom, whereas Dharma is truth to be sought. Together they make us feel the Purushartha which is the “object of human pursuit” and the blueprint for human fulfilment. Its “Dharma” component is about true purpose in life and the ethical basis on which one lives one’s life at the same time one accepts his conscienced decision making. Abovementioned notions of reasoning show where there is truth, there is wisdom. Where there is wisdom, there is truth. They mirror each other and seem to be indivisible, indissoluble and inextricable. This is well reflected in the great people’s philosophies or their way of living, for instance, for Mahatma Gandhi the quest for “Truth” largely depended upon the truth about the self. And his wisdom stated that an individual’s “highest duty in life is to serve mankind and take his share in bettering its condition”, which could not be done unless one understands and respects the self. Likewise, ‘good’ to G.E.Moore means the word ‘Good’ is indefinable because the quality ‘goodness’ is a simple, unanalysable and non – complex property. Hedonists commit this fallacy because they explain the meaning of ‘good’ by reference to pleasure which is a particular mode of experience. Pleasure may be more or less good, but it does not enable one to know what is really meant by good, and hence the truth. Plato recognised wisdom as one of his four cardinal virtues and defined it as the rational part of the soul. It is an all-embracing virtue. It is moral insight into the duties in a concrete situation and performing them. It is practical wisdom which is implied in all moral actions. The same case is with Kant’s Categorical Imperative, explicitly asserted that actions are right only when they are done for the sake of duty – only in so far as they are performed for the sake of their rightness. More so than anything else, the journey from Prince Siddhartha, the son of the king of the Sakya people, to Gautama Buddha was all about “the dynamics of wisdom-truth relations” which concluded with “four noble truths”: (1) existence is suffering; (2) this suffering is caused by human craving; (3) there is a cessation of the suffering, which is nirvana; and (4) nirvana can be achieved, in this or future lives, through the “eightfold path” of right views, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. The above postulations have empirical realizations experienced in the form of a dignified human life which confirms that truth and wisdom are “conjoint, covalent and reciprocal”.

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sir this essay is in 1000-1200 words or notand very much thanks to give this essay

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Wisdom finds Truth | UPSC Mains Essay Preparation PDF Download

“The wise man has the knowledge of all things, in so far as possible” ~ Aristotle. 

Introduction

Aristotle, reckoned among the greatest Greek philosophers, devoted his life to searching for truth which to him was the highest knowledge to be attained through wisdom. Philosophers, Greek or Indian, right since ancient times, have devoted themselves to the search for truth. The implication is clear. Truth, per se, is not a unique entity, but is like a chameleon that changes its colours.

Philosophical Scrutiny

There has never been any universal truth in the world of science in human history except self-evident principles that require no wisdom to be applied in their recognition. Of these self evident truths, rationalists like Descartes have maintained that these truths are recognized as soon as they are brought to our cognition. For instance, it requires neither wisdom nor intelligence to cognize that a triangle is a three sided figure or even that a triangle is 180 degrees. If that is the case, what meaning lies in the assertion that wisdom finds truth? The truth being referred to here then must be an altogether different kind of truth than 2+2=4. After all, the Greek philosophers and the Indian philosophers devoted their ageless wisdom in search of the truth. And did they find it? Most certainly, they did. Only, we, the lesser mortals devoted to sensory pleasures and the material world, fail to recognize or appreciate the truth they found through wisdom. All philosophers can be said to be devoted to the enterprise of truth. Descartes was a rationalist, who arrived at the truth of Cogito Ergo Sum, or I think, therefore, I am. This self discovery for Descartes was indubitable because, as he maintained, “the more I think of I, the more certain I become of its existence which even an evil genius could not have put into my mind”. Let us not forget here that a philosopher is one who loves wisdom because, by its very definition, philosophy is the love of Wisdom. Therefore, we can argue that Newton dedicated himself to the love of wisdom when he discovered the law of gravitation, even as our own philosophers like Buddha, Gautam, Shankaracharya, and Kanad discovered their truths through their wisdom. There now emerges a conundrum about truth. Is truth one or many? Is my truth different from your truth? Is the world of plurality a mirage? The wisdom of our holy sages contained in Upanishads answers this question beautifully. Our Upanishads claim, Ekam sat, Vipra Bahuda vadanti. This aphorism means: “That which exists is ONE; sages call it by various names.” Yet, the quest for truth is a never-ending pursuit that has led to civilizational transformations, crusades, jihads, and burning at stake. For much of human history, the creation theory of Adam and Eve held as much sway as the geocentric theory of our world. These were truths patronized by the holy church. They could not be questioned because it was the Biblical truth believed to have descended directly from God. However, some brave and courageous men like Darwin and Copernicus questioned these truths. Hundreds of men before them were already sacrificed at the altar of truth for holding contrary beliefs. When these men brought the new truths before the world, they also simultaneously transformed the world. However, there is no guarantee that the truth brought out by these men will remain permanent and set in stone, and who could have said it better than wise Siddhartha, the Buddha, in as precise words as “The only constant in this world is change” or the wise Greek Philosopher, Heraclitus who claimed, “You cannot bathe in the same river twice.”

Wisdom and Intelligence

These incidents in human history clearly point out the unmistakable distinction between wisdom and intelligence. While intelligence will help us discover, invent or innovate, wisdom allows us to attain the consciousness of truth. The truths found through intelligence can be short-lived, but the truths found through wisdom are permanent. If you are a great devotee to science or scientific truths, you may, in all likelihood, question the above assumptions. You may, for instance, want to know how truths established by science can ever be challenged. You only need to look at the progress of science, which has revised the truths a number of times in its journey. The Newtonian laws of motion perfectly explained our physical world till the time particle theory began to dominate the field of science. The laws of motion failed in their explanatory power when an altogether new world, the microscopic world, was opened to us. Similarly, our understanding of diseases underwent a paradigm shift when the discovery of germs and germs theory came to dominate the medical world. We are constantly discovering new knowledge, and science is no doubt enriched by those, but they can never establish the truth for good, as we continue to hop from one truth to the next, and so on. Therefore, the wisdom of Lord Buddha can surely take us closer to the truth of the world of flux, the truth of constant change. So, the adage wisdom finds truth can be seen to operate in our world like clockwork. The question then for us is what truth we want to find and how wisdom can help us discover the truth. In other words, this adage operates in the very personal and private lives of individuals. There are many things that we discover with our own wisdom, and sometimes what we learn has the status of grand truth. These adages are aptly expressed by wise poets and saints like Kabir and Rahim. Let us see few examples. Rahim says, “Rahiman nij man ki bitha man hi rakho goy, sun ithlainhe log sab, banti na lainhe koi”. Rahim cautions us not to disclose our personal grief to others because people will not share our pain, rather, they will draw malicious pleasure out of it. This is the kind of worldly truth many of us discover through our wisdom. Similarly, Kabir states, “Mati kahe  kumhar se, tu kya ronde moy, ek din aisa ayega, main rondungi toye”. This couplet, in a very simple and plain language, expounds a profound and undeniable truth. The truth of mortality, or impermanence of life, is well known but it requires wisdom to string this truth in a language that strikes an instant chord of awareness.

In conclusion, it is clear that wisdom finds the truth. The wise either discover the truth themselves, or realize the truth spoken by masters. The unwise, far from the truth, spend their days without self reflection and self-cogitation. One may be knowledgeable, may have mastered the encyclopaedia; but all of it amounts to nothing if one has not invested an iota of wisdom in searching the truth. With all our knowledge and learning, we are like robots fed with data that we churn out when needed and that really makes no difference to us. But when we apply our wisdom to find the truth of life, we are transformed individuals.

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Insights Weekly Essay Challenges 2020 – Week 1: Wisdom finds truth

Insights weekly essay challenges 2020 – week 01.

22 September 2019

Write an essay on the following topic in not more than 1000-1200 words:

Wisdom finds truth

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Essay on Wisdom Finds Truth

Students are often asked to write an essay on Wisdom Finds Truth in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Wisdom Finds Truth

What is wisdom.

Wisdom is the ability to think and act using knowledge and experience. It helps us make good decisions and understand the world around us. Wisdom comes from learning and life experiences.

Wisdom and Truth

Wisdom helps us find truth. Truth is what is real and true. It is not always easy to find the truth, but wisdom helps us to see things clearly and make sense of them.

How Wisdom Finds Truth

Wisdom helps us to see the world as it really is. It helps us to understand the causes and effects of things. Wisdom also helps us to see the big picture and to understand how things are connected. This allows us to make better decisions and live more fulfilling lives.

Wisdom is a valuable tool that helps us to find truth and make good decisions. It comes from learning and life experiences. By seeking wisdom, we can live more fulfilling and meaningful lives.

250 Words Essay on Wisdom Finds Truth

Wisdom is the ability to think about something in a calm and sensible way, using your knowledge and experience. it is the ability to know what is true, right, or important. wisdom is a quality that is often associated with age and experience., wisdom is the key to finding truth. when we are wise, we are more likely to be able to see the world for what it is and to understand the things that are happening around us. we are also more likely to be able to make good decisions, even in difficult situations., how to gain wisdom, wisdom comes from many different sources, including experience, education, and reflection. the more we learn about the world, the more we will understand it. the more we reflect on our experiences, the more we will learn from them. and the more we educate ourselves, the more knowledge we will have to draw on when making decisions., wisdom is a valuable quality that can help us to live better lives. when we are wise, we are more likely to be happy, successful, and fulfilled. we are also more likely to be able to make a positive contribution to the world., 500 words essay on wisdom finds truth, the essence of wisdom: seeking the truth.

Wisdom is a profound quality that guides us in our pursuit of knowledge and understanding. It is not merely the accumulation of facts and information, but rather the ability to discern truth from falsehood, to comprehend the underlying principles of life, and to make sound judgments based on this knowledge. At the heart of wisdom lies a relentless quest for truth, a journey that leads us to a deeper understanding of ourselves, the world around us, and our place in it.

The Path to Truth: Questioning and Skepticism

The path to truth begins with questioning and skepticism. Wisdom encourages us to challenge our assumptions, to examine our beliefs critically, and to be open to new ideas and perspectives. It is through questioning that we uncover hidden truths and break free from the confines of ignorance. Skepticism, the ability to doubt and scrutinize, serves as a shield against misinformation and dogma. By embracing a questioning mindset, we embark on a journey of discovery, constantly seeking knowledge and truth.

The Value of Experience: Learning from Life’s Lessons

Wisdom is not solely derived from books and theories; it is also gleaned from the tapestry of our experiences. As we navigate the challenges and joys of life, we encounter situations that test our beliefs, values, and understanding. These experiences, both positive and negative, become valuable lessons that shape our wisdom. We learn from our mistakes, grow from our successes, and develop a deeper appreciation for the complexities of life. Wisdom teaches us to embrace experiences as opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

The Importance of Empathy: Understanding Others’ Perspectives

A crucial aspect of wisdom is empathy, the ability to step into another’s shoes and see the world from their perspective. Wisdom recognizes that truth is multifaceted, and that there are often multiple valid viewpoints on any given issue. By cultivating empathy, we develop the capacity to understand and appreciate different cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. This understanding enables us to engage in meaningful dialogue, bridge divides, and work towards common goals. Wisdom teaches us that unity and progress stem from our ability to see beyond our own limited perspectives and embrace the richness of human diversity.

The Fruits of Wisdom: A Life of Meaning and Purpose

Wisdom guides us towards a life of meaning and purpose. By seeking truth and embracing knowledge, we gain a deeper understanding of our place in the universe and our responsibility towards others. Wisdom teaches us to live with integrity, to act with compassion, and to strive for justice. It shows us that true happiness lies not in material possessions or fleeting pleasures, but in living a life that is authentic, purposeful, and in harmony with our values. Wisdom is the key to unlocking the full potential of our human existence.

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Essay on Wisdom finds truth

Essay – wisdom finds truth.

Wisdom finds truth Essay: The aforementioned quote, “ Wisdom finds truth” is an aphoristic version of a popular saying “Wisdom is found only in truth” as professed by the German polymath JohannWolf von Goethe in the mid-18th Century. The aspects of truth and wisdom can also be found in Indian traditional philosophies such as Hinduism which describes knowledge as ‘Gyan’ and the truth as ‘Satya’ as documented in the Vedas. In both western and eastern philosophies, wisdom and truth have been identified as inextricably associated with one another.

Indian philosophy of ‘Hinduism’ professes, “Satyameva Jayate” referring that only the recognition and comprehension of the ultimate truth through enriched wisdom can lead to victory in life. Truth can be defined as the embodiment of facts, information, things and events that can be justified by both objective analyses as well as subjective analysis by an individual. For instance, the earth’s revolution around the sun causes the phenomenon of day and night. It appeals to individuals’ logical and rational faculties for  Nicolaus Copernicus stated it in his radical theory of the Universe in 1543. The same phenomenon also appeals to our subjective faculties such as our moods and emotions. In general human beings are active during the day while at rest during the night. On the other hand, wisdom can be defined as the ability to acquire substantial and meaningful experiences to justify knowledge that facilitates individuals to make judgments. In the context of the aforementioned instance, an individual will require to have experienced both day and night and characterize day as the period marked by the rising of the sun while night as the period marked by the setting of the sun. This experience enables an individual to judge the difference between day and night.

Truth and Wisdom are interdependent aspects of human existence. They are futile without one another. T.S. Eliot professed, “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information ?’ Eliot signifies that knowledge and wisdom are not the same things. Knowledge simply refers to a group of accepted information whereas wisdom is the ability of an individual to decipher the authenticity of the acquired knowledge. For instance, during Copernicus’ time, society was dominantly influenced by the clergy hence civilians of Poland and worldwide believed the phenomenon of day and night is caused by the Sun’s rotation around the sun. Hence, the knowledge gained through acquired information from the clergymen was illegitimate. It was Copernicus’ wisdom that revealed the truth of the natural phenomenon of day and night.

In conclusion, wisdom and truth are two aspects of human existence that are inextricable with one another. Wisdom provides individuals with the skill of acquiring legitimate information and meaningful experiences that substantiate the knowledge and encourages the process of seeking truth. Truth in turn is the most legitimate source of knowledge as justified by Copernicus’s‘ Radical Theory.’

Q1. Who professed the aforementioned quote?

Ans: “Wisdom is found only in truth” w as professed by the German polymath JohannWolf von Goethe in the mid 18th Century.

Q2. How are truth and wisdom described in India?

Ans: The aspects of truth and wisdom can also be found in Indian traditional philosophies such as Hinduism which describes knowledge as ‘Gyan’ and the truth as ‘Satya’ as documented in the Vedas.

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UPSC Mains 2019 Questions- Essay

• September 20, 2019
• Mains , Questions

1.   Wisdom Finds truth

2.  value, are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be 

3.  Best for an individual is not necessarily, but best for society

4.  Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success

5. South Asian societies are woven not around the State, but around their cultures and plural identities

6. Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for backwardness

7. Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy

8. Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunity through reskilling and upskilling. 

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Philosophy - How wisdom leads us towards truth

This article discusses the philosophical question of how wisdom can help us get to the truth or the essence behind every object. The common fallacy of equating wisdom and knowledge has been sought to be corrected while discussing the concept of truth. The objective of writing this article is simply to know the significance of wisdom. Read on to know more.

But then what is the truth?

Wisdom and the pursuit of truth.

A nice article by the author bringing out the value and importance of wisdom which is sometimes confused as knowledge by a few of us. Whatever knowledge we gain in life and whatever experience we gain while utilising that knowledge in our day to day and other specific projects ultimately culminates in making us wise. Wisdom is a life long earned thing by a person and it can be found out from the available lot as who is wiser than others. Unfortunately, wisdom is not distributed uniformly in the humans as it is not bestowed but is to be earned. Many people get wiser with age though there are some unfortunate ones who remain dull and unwise till their death. Wise people are respected in the society and people take their advice for many problem situations. They give very useful and practical suggestions backed by their life long experiences in various worldly matters. Wise people are the grace of our society. They show extraordinary patience and politeness in their behaviour. They are always very clear in their thinking and not biased. In case of any confusion and doubts, we must consult the wise people as they will find the truth and tell us to act accordingly.

A very nice article explaining the difference between wisdom and knowledge. An educated man should become wise using his experience. Many of the human beings will become wise by studying the situations in different ways and coming to a conclusion which is very near to the truth. A wise man will always try to understand the point in the argument of authors and never feel or say that whatever he knows as the ultimate. He always tries to know more and more and never feel that he learned everything. So we can't say an educated man is a wise man. A king, while going in his vehicle, saw an old man trying to plant a mango tree. He stopped the vehicle and asked the old man why he was planting a tree at this age because it would take years to give crop. The old man said that his grandfather planted a tree and he enjoyed the fruits of that tree and that his grandchildren would enjoy the fruits of the tree he planted. The king may be more educated than the old man but the old man is wise.

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41 Bertrand Russell–two essays

Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell , 1872 – 1970 CE, was a British philosopher, writer, social critic and political activist. In the early 20th century, Russell led the British “revolt against idealism”.  He is considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy.  Russell was an anti-war activist and went to prison for his pacifism during World War I.    He did conclude that the war against Adolf Hitler was a necessary “lesser of two evils”  He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 “”in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought.”

In “Reflections on My Eightieth Birthday” (“Postscript” in his  Autobiography ), Russell wrote: “I have lived in the pursuit of a vision, both personal and social.

Personal: to care for what is noble, for what is beautiful, for what is gentle; to allow moments of insight to give wisdom at more mundane times.

Social: to see in imagination the society that is to be created, where individuals grow freely, and where hate and greed and envy die because there is nothing to nourish them. These things I believe, and the world, for all its horrors, has left me unshaken”.

You might find it interesting to see the two things that he believed he would like to say to a future generation.  It takes less than 2 minutes, but in 1959, this is what Bertrand Russell had to say:

Message to Future Generations

From  Bertrand Russell’s: The Problems of Philosophy: Chapter XV: The Value of Philosophy

This is a short interview with Woodrow Wyatt in 1960, when Russell was 87 years old.

Mankind’s Future and Philosophy

The life of the instinctive man is shut up within the circle of his private interests : family and friends may be included, but the outer world is not regarded except as it may help or hinder what comes within the circle of instinctive wishes. In such a life there is something feverish and confined, in comparison with which the philosophic life is calm and free. The private world of instinctive interests is a small one, set in the midst of a great and powerful world which must, sooner or later, lay our private world in ruins.

Unless we can so enlarge our interests as to include the whole outer world, we remain like a garrison in a beleaguered fortress, knowing that the enemy prevents escape and that ultimate surrender is inevitable. In such a life there is no peace, but a constant strife between the insistence of desire and the powerlessness of will. In one way or another, if our life is to be great and free, we must escape this prison and this strife.

One way of escape is by philosophic contemplation. Philosophic contemplation does not, in its widest survey, divide the universe into two hostile camps—friends and foes, helpful and hostile, good and bad—it views the whole impartially. Philosophic contemplation, when it is unalloyed, does not aim at proving that the rest of the universe is akin to man. All acquisition of knowledge is an enlargement of the Self, but this enlargement is best attained when it is not directly sought. It is obtained when the desire for knowledge is alone operative, by a study which does not wish in advance that its objects should have this or that character, but adapts the Self to the characters which it finds in its objects. This enlargement of Self is not obtained when, taking the Self as it is, we try to show that the world is so similar to this Self that knowledge of it is possible without any admission of what seems alien. The desire to prove this is a form of self-assertion and, like all self-assertion, it is an obstacle to the growth of Self which it desires, and of which the Self knows that it is capable. Self-assertion, in philosophic speculation as elsewhere, views the world as a means to its own ends; thus it makes the world of less account than Self, and the Self sets bounds to the greatness of its goods. In contemplation, on the contrary, we start from the not-Self, and through its greatness the boundaries of Self are enlarged; through the infinity of the universe the mind which contemplates it achieves some share in infinity.

The true philosophic contemplation, on the contrary, finds its satisfaction in every enlargement of the not-Self, in everything that magnifies the objects contemplated, and thereby the subject contemplating. Everything, in contemplation, that is personal or private, everything that depends upon habit, self-interest, or desire, distorts the object, and hence impairs the union which the intellect seeks. By thus making a barrier between subject and object, such personal and private things become a prison to the intellect. The free intellect will see as God might see, without a here and now, without hopes and fears, without the trammels of customary beliefs and traditional prejudices, calmly, dispassionately, in the sole and exclusive desire of knowledge—knowledge as impersonal, as purely contemplative, as it is possible for man to attain. Hence also the free intellect will value more the abstract and universal knowledge into which the accidents of private history do not enter, than the knowledge brought by the senses, and dependent, as such knowledge must be, upon an exclusive and personal point of view and a body whose sense organs distort as much as they reveal.

The mind which has become accustomed to the freedom and impartiality of philosophic contemplation will preserve something of the same freedom and impartiality in the world of action and emotion. It will view its purposes and desires as parts of the whole, with the absence of insistence that results from seeing them as infinitesimal fragments in a world of which all the rest is unaffected by any one man’s deeds. The impartiality which, in contemplation, is the unalloyed desire for truth, is the very same quality of mind which, in action, is justice, and in emotion is that universal love which can be given to all, and not only to those who are judged useful or admirable. Thus contemplation enlarges not only the objects of our thoughts, but also the objects of our actions and our affections: it makes us citizens of the universe, not only of one walled city at war with all the rest. In this citizenship of the universe consists man’s true freedom, and his liberation from the thralldom of narrow hopes and fears.

Key Takeaway

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.

Bertrand Russell

Thus, to sum up our discussion of the value of philosophy; Philosophy is to be studied , not for the sake of any definite answers to its questions, since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true, but rather for the sake of the questions themselves; because these questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation; but above all because, through the greatness of the universe which philosophy contemplates, the mind also is rendered great, and becomes capable of that union with the universe which constitutes its highest good.

Ex Libris C. K. OGDEN CONWAY MEMORIAL LECTURE

FREE THOUGHT AND OFFICIAL PROPAGANDA

Delivered at south place institute on march 24, 1922, by the hon. bertrand russell, m.a., f.r.s., (professor graham wallas in the chair), watts & co., johnson’s court, fleet street, e.c.4 1922.

Moncure Conway, in whose honor we are assembled to-day, devoted his life to two great objects: freedom of thought and freedom of the individual.

“In regard to both these objects, something has been gained since his time, but something also has been lost. New dangers, somewhat different in form from those of past ages, threaten both kinds of freedom, and unless a vigorous and vigilant public opinion can be aroused in defense of them, there will be much less of both a hundred years hence than there is now. My purpose in this address is to emphasize the new dangers and to consider how they can be met.

Let us begin by trying to be clear as to what we mean by “free thought.” This expression has two senses.

In its narrower sense it means thought which does not accept the dogmas of traditional religion. In this sense a man is a “free thinker” if he is not a Christian or a Mussulman or a Buddhist or a Shintoist or a member of any of the other bodies of men who accept some inherited orthodoxy. In Christian countries a man is called a “free thinker” if he does not decidedly believe in God, though this would not suffice to make a man a “free thinker” in a Buddhist country.

I do not wish to minimize the importance of free thought in this sense. I am myself a dissenter from all known religions, and I hope that every kind of religious belief will die out. I do not believe that, on the balance, religious belief has been a force for good. Although I am prepared to admit that in certain times and places it has had some good effects, I regard it as belonging to the infancy of human reason, and to a stage of development which we are now outgrowing.

But there is also a wider sense of “free thought,” which I regard as of still greater importance. Indeed, the harm done by traditional religions seems chiefly traceable to the fact that they have prevented free thought in this wider sense. The wider sense is not so easy to define as the narrower, and it will be well to spend some little time in trying to arrive at its essence.

To begin with the most obvious. Thought is not “free” when legal penalties are incurred by the holding or not holding of certain opinions, or by giving expression to one’s belief or lack of belief on certain matters. Very few countries in the world have as yet even this elementary kind of freedom.

In England, under the Blasphemy Laws , it is illegal to express disbelief in the Christian religion, though in practice the law is not set in motion against the well-to-do. It is also illegal to teach what Christ taught on the subject of non-resistance. Therefore, whoever wishes to avoid becoming a criminal must profess to agree with Christ’s teaching, but must avoid saying what that teaching was.

In America no one can enter the country without first solemnly declaring that he disbelieves in anarchism and polygamy; and, once inside, he must also disbelieve in communism.

In Japan it is illegal to express disbelief in the divinity of the Mikado . It will thus be seen that a voyage round the world is a perilous adventure.

A Mohammedan, a Tolstoyan, a Bolshevik, or a Christian cannot undertake it without at some point becoming a criminal, or holding his tongue about what he considers important truths. This, of course, applies only to steerage passengers; saloon passengers are allowed to believe whatever they please, provided they avoid offensive obtrusiveness.

Legal penalties are, however, in the modern world, the least of the obstacles to freedom of thoughts . The two great obstacles are economic penalties and distortion of evidence. It is clear that thought is not free if the profession of certain opinions makes it impossible to earn a living. It is clear also that thought is not free if all the arguments on one side of a controversy are perpetually presented as attractively as possible, while the arguments on the other side can only be discovered by diligent search. Both these obstacles exist in every large country known to me, except China, which is the last refuge of freedom. It is these obstacles with which I shall be concerned—their present magnitude, the likelihood of their increase, and the possibility of their diminution.

We may say that thought is free when it is exposed to free competition among beliefs —i.e., when all beliefs are able to state their case, and no legal or pecuniary advantages or disadvantages attach to beliefs. This is an ideal which, for various reasons, can never be fully attained. But it is possible to approach very much nearer to it than we do at present.

Three incidents in my own life will serve to show how, in modern England, the scales are weighted in favor of Christianity. My reason for mentioning them is that many people do not at all realize the disadvantages to which avowed Agnosticism still exposes people.

• The first incident belongs to a very early stage in my life. My father was a Freethinker, but died when I was only three years old. Wishing me to be brought up without superstition, he appointed two Freethinkers as my guardians. The Courts, however, set aside his will, and had me educated in the Christian faith. I am afraid the result was disappointing, but that was not the fault of the law. If he had directed that I should be educated as a Christadelphian or a Muggletonian or a Seventh-Day Adventist, the Courts would not have dreamed of objecting. A parent has a right to ordain that any imaginable superstition shall be instilled into his children after his death, but has not the right to say that they shall be kept free from superstition if possible.
• The second incident occurred in the year 1910 . I had at that time a desire to stand for Parliament as a Liberal, and the Whips recommended me to a certain constituency. I addressed the Liberal Association, who expressed themselves favorably, and my adoption seemed certain. But, on being questioned by a small inner caucus, I admitted that I was an Agnostic. They asked whether the fact would come out, and I said it probably would. They asked whether I should be willing to go to church occasionally, and I replied that I should not. Consequently, they selected another candidate, who was duly elected, has been in Parliament ever since, and is a member of the present Government.
• The third incident occurred immediately afterwards. I was invited by Trinity College, Cambridge, to become a lecturer, but not a Fellow. The difference is not pecuniary; it is that a Fellow has a voice in the government of the College, and cannot be dispossessed during the term of his Fellowship except for grave immorality. The chief reason for not offering me a Fellowship was that the clerical party did not wish to add to the anti-clerical vote. The result was that they were able to dismiss me in 1916, when they disliked my views on the War. If I had been dependent on my lectureship, I should have starved.

These three incidents illustrate different kinds of disadvantages attaching to avowed freethinking even in modern England. Any other avowed Freethinker could supply similar incidents from his personal experience, often of a far more serious character. The net result is that people who are not well-to-do dare not be frank about their religious beliefs.

It is not, of course, only or even chiefly in regard to religion that there is lack of freedom. Belief in communism or free love handicaps a man much more than Agnosticism. Not only is it a disadvantage to hold those views, but it is very much more difficult to obtain publicity for the arguments in their favor. On the other hand, in Russia the advantages and disadvantages are exactly reversed: comfort and power are achieved by professing Atheism, communism, and free love, and no opportunity exists for propaganda against these opinions. The result is that in Russia one set of fanatics feels absolute certainty about one set of doubtful propositions, while in the rest of the world another set of fanatics feels equal certainty about a diametrically opposite set of equally doubtful propositions. From such a situation war, bitterness, and persecution inevitably result on both sides.

Russell was an atheist.  He has specific reasons for this.  Listen to it in his own words:

  Bertrand Russell on Religion

William James used to preach the “will to believe.” For my part, I should wish to preach the “will to doubt.” None of our beliefs are quite true; all have at least a penumbra of vagueness and error. The methods of increasing the degree of truth in our beliefs are well known; they consist in hearing all sides, trying to ascertain all the relevant facts, controlling our own bias by discussion with people who have the opposite bias, and cultivating a readiness to discard any hypothesis which has proved inadequate. These methods are practiced in science, and have built up the body of scientific knowledge.

Every man of science whose outlook is truly scientific is ready to admit that what passes for scientific knowledge at the moment is sure to require correction with the progress of discovery; nevertheless, it is near enough to the truth to serve for most practical purposes, though not for all. In science, where alone something approximating to genuine knowledge is to be found, men’s attitude is tentative and full of doubt.

In religion and politics, on the contrary, though there is as yet nothing approaching scientific knowledge , everybody considers it  de rigueur  to have a dogmatic opinion, to be backed up by inflicting starvation, prison, and war, and to be carefully guarded from argumentative competition with any different opinion. If only men could be brought into a tentatively agnostic frame of mind about these matters, nine-tenths of the evils of the modern world would be cured. War would become impossible, because each side would realize that both sides must be in the wrong. Persecution would cease. Education would aim at expanding the mind, not at narrowing it. Men would be chosen for jobs on account of fitness to do the work, not because they flattered the irrational dogmas of those in power. Thus rational doubt alone, if it could be generated, would suffice to introduce the millennium.

We have had in recent years a brilliant example of the scientific temper of mind in the theory of relativity and its reception by the world. Einstein, a German-Swiss-Jew pacifist, was appointed to a research professorship by the German Government in the early days of the War; his predictions were verified by an English expedition which observed the eclipse of 1919, very soon after the Armistice. His theory upsets the whole theoretical framework of traditional physics; it is almost as damaging to orthodox dynamics as Darwin was to  Genesis . Yet physicists everywhere have shown complete readiness to accept his theory as soon as it appeared that the evidence was in its favor. But none of them, least of all Einstein himself, would claim that he has said the last word. He has not built a monument of infallible dogma to stand for all time. There are difficulties he cannot solve; his doctrines will have to be modified in their turn as they have modified Newton’s. This critical un-dogmatic receptiveness is the true attitude of science.

What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the wish to find out, which is its exact opposite.

If it is admitted that a condition of rational doubt would be desirable , it becomes important to inquire how it comes about that there is so much irrational certainty in the world. A great deal of this is due to the inherent irrationality and credulity of average human nature. But this seed of intellectual original sin is nourished and fostered by other agencies, among which three play the chief part—namely, education, propaganda, and economic pressure .

Let us consider these in turn.

The committee which framed these laws, as quoted by the  New Republic , laid it down that the teacher who “does not approve of the present social system……must surrender his office,” and that “no person who is not eager to combat the theories of social change should be entrusted with the task of fitting the young and old for the responsibilities of citizenship.”

Thus, according to the law of the State of New York, Christ and George Washington were too degraded morally to be fit for the education of the young . If Christ were to go to New York and say, “Suffer the little children to come unto me,” the President of the New York School Board would reply: “Sir, I see no evidence that you are eager to combat theories of social change. Indeed, I have heard it said that you advocate what you call the  kingdom  of heaven, whereas this country, thank God, is a republic. It is clear that the Government of your kingdom of heaven would differ materially from that of New York State, therefore no children will be allowed access to you.” If he failed to make this reply, he would not be doing his duty as a functionary entrusted with the administration of the law.

The effect of such laws is very serious. Let it be granted, for the sake of argument, that the government and the social system in the State of New York are the best that have ever existed on this planet; yet even then both would presumably be capable of improvement. Any person who admits this obvious proposition is by law incapable of teaching in a State school. Thus the law decrees that the teachers shall all be either hypocrites or fools.

Religious toleration, to a certain extent, has been won because people have ceased to consider religion so important as it was once thought to be. But in politics and economics, which have taken the place formerly occupied by religion, there is a growing tendency to persecution, which is not by any means confined to one party. The persecution of opinion in Russia is more severe than in any capitalist country. I met in Petrograd an eminent Russian poet, Alexander Block, who has since died as the result of privations. The Bolsheviks allowed him to teach æsthetics, but he complained that they insisted on his teaching the subject “from a Marxian point of view.” He had been at a loss to discover how the theory of rhythmics was connected with Marxism, although, to avoid starvation, he had done his best to find out. Of course, it has been impossible in Russia ever since the Bolsheviks came into power to print anything critical of the dogmas upon which their regime is founded.

The examples of America and Russia illustrate the conclusion to which we seem to be driven—namely, that so long as men continue to have the present fanatical belief in the importance of politics free thought on political matters will be impossible, and there is only too much danger that the lack of freedom will spread to all other matters, as it has done in Russia. Only some degree of political skepticism can save us from this misfortune.

It must not be supposed that the officials in charge of education desire the young to become educated. On the contrary, their problem is to impart information without imparting intelligence. Education should have two objects: first, to give definite knowledge—reading and writing, languages and mathematics, and so on; secondly, to create those mental habits which will enable people to acquire knowledge and form sound judgments for themselves. The first of these we may call information, the second intelligence. The utility of information is admitted practically as well as theoretically; without a literate population a modern State is impossible. But the utility of intelligence is admitted only theoretically, not practically; it is not desired that ordinary people should think for themselves, because it is felt that people who think for themselves are awkward to manage and cause administrative difficulties. Only the guardians, in Plato’s language, are to think; the rest are to obey, or to follow leaders like a herd of sheep. This doctrine, often unconsciously, has survived the introduction of political democracy, and has radically vitiated all national systems of education.

Definite mis-statements of fact can be legitimately objected to, but they are by no means necessary. The mere words “Pear’s Soap,” which affirm nothing, cause people to buy that article. If, wherever these words appear, they were replaced by the words “The Labour Party,” millions of people would be led to vote for the Labour Party, although the advertisements had claimed no merit for it whatever. But if both sides in a controversy were confined by law to statements which a committee of eminent logicians considered relevant and valid, the main evil of propaganda, as at present conducted, would remain.

Suppose, under such a law, two parties with an equally good case, one of whom had a million pounds to spend on propaganda, while the other had only a hundred thousand . It is obvious that the arguments in favor of the richer party would become more widely known than those in favor of the poorer party, and therefore the richer party would win. This situation is, of course, intensified when one party is the Government. In Russia the Government has an almost complete monopoly of propaganda, but that is not necessary. The advantages which it possesses over its opponents will generally be sufficient to give it the victory, unless it has an exceptionally bad case.

There are two simple principles which, if they were adopted, would solve almost all social problems.

The first is that education should have for one of its aims to teach people only to believe propositions when there is some reason to think that they are true.

The second is that jobs should be given solely for fitness to do the work.

To take the second point first . The habit of considering a man’s religious, moral, and political opinions before appointing him to a post or giving him a job is the modern form of persecution, and it is likely to become quite as efficient as the Inquisition ever was. The old liberties can be legally retained without being of the slightest use. If, in practice, certain opinions lead a man to starve, it is poor comfort to him to know that his opinions are not punishable by law. There is a certain public feeling against starving men for not belonging to the Church of England, or for holding slightly unorthodox opinions in politics. But there is hardly any feeling against the rejection of Atheists or Mormons, extreme communists, or men who advocate free love. Such men are thought to be wicked, and it is considered only natural to refuse to employ them. People have hardly yet waked up to the fact that this refusal, in a highly industrial State, amounts to a very rigorous form of persecution.

If this danger were adequately realized, it would be possible to rouse public opinion , and to secure that a man’s beliefs should not be considered in appointing him to a post. The protection of minorities is vitally important; and even the most orthodox of us may find himself in a minority some day, so that we all have an interest in restraining the tyranny of majorities. Nothing except public opinion can solve this problem. Socialism would make it somewhat more acute, since it would eliminate the opportunities that now arise through exceptional employers. Every increase in the size of industrial undertakings makes it worse, since it diminishes the number of independent employers.

The battle must be fought exactly as the battle of religious toleration was fought. And as in that case, so in this, a decay in the intensity of belief is likely to prove the decisive factor. While men were convinced of the absolute truth of Catholicism or Protestantism, as the case might be, they were willing to persecute on account of them. While men are quite certain of their modern creeds, they will persecute on their behalf. Some element of doubt is essential to the practice, though not to the theory, of toleration.

And this brings me to my other point, which concerns the aims of education.  If there is to be toleration in the world, one of the things taught in schools must be the habit of weighing evidence, and the practice of not giving full assent to propositions which there is no reason to believe true.

History should be taught in the same way. Napoleon’s campaigns of 1813 and 1814, for instance, might be studied in the  Moniteur , leading up to the surprise which Parisians felt when they saw the Allies arriving under the walls of Paris after they had (according to the official bulletins) been beaten by Napoleon in every battle. In the more advanced classes, students should be encouraged to count the number of times that Lenin has been assassinated by Trotsky, in order to learn contempt for death. Finally, they should be given a school history approved by the Government, and asked to infer what a French school history would say about our wars with France. All this would be a far better training in citizenship than the trite moral maxims by which some people believe that civic duty can be inculcated.

If I am asked how the world is to be induced to adopt these two maxims—namely

(1) that jobs should be given to people on account of their fitness to perform them;

(2) that one aim of education should be to cure people of the habit of believing propositions for which there is no evidence—

I can only say that it must be done by generating an enlightened public opinion . And an enlightened public opinion can only be generated by the efforts of those who desire that it should exist. I do not believe that the economic changes advocated by Socialists will, of themselves, do anything towards curing the evils we have been considering. I think that, whatever happens in politics, the trend of economic development will make the preservation of mental freedom increasingly difficult, unless public opinion insists that the employer shall control nothing in the life of the employee except his work.

Freedom in education could easily be secured, if it were desired , by limiting the function of the State to inspection and payment, and confining inspection rigidly to the definite instruction. But that, as things stand, would leave education in the hands of the Churches, because, unfortunately, they are more anxious to teach their beliefs than Freethinkers are to teach their doubts. It would, however, give a free field, and would make it possible for a liberal education to be given if it were really desired. More than that ought not to be asked of the law.

My plea throughout this address has been for the spread of the scientific temper , which is an altogether different thing from the knowledge of scientific results. The scientific temper is capable of regenerating mankind and providing an issue for all our troubles. The results of science, in the form of mechanism, poison gas, and the yellow press, bid fair to lead to the total downfall of our civilization. It is a curious antithesis, which a Martian might contemplate with amused detachment. But for us it is a matter of life and death. Upon its issue depends the question whether our grandchildren are to live in a happier world, or are to exterminate each other by scientific methods, leaving perhaps to Negroes and Papuans the future destinies of mankind.

If you would like to hear a more thorough interview with Russell, you can find it here at:

  Face to Face Interview with the BBC

Project Gutenberg’s The Problems of Philosophy, by Bertrand Russell

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Title: The Problems of Philosophy

Author: Bertrand Russell

Release Date: May 2, 2009 [EBook #5827]

Last Updated: February 7, 2013 Language: English

Project Gutenberg’s Free Thought and Official Propaganda, by Bertrand Russell

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Title: Free Thought and Official Propaganda

Release Date: February 16, 2014 [EBook #44932]

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Bertrand Russell--two essays Copyright © 2018 by Jody L Ondich is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Essay Question Paper – UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2019

Last updated on September 30, 2023 by Alex Andrews George

UPSC Mains 2019 – Download Essay Question Paper:

UPSC conducted the  Essay Paper , as part of  Civil Services Main Exam 2019 on 20-09-2019.

Table of Contents

ESSAY PAPER: UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination – 2019

Instructions.

• Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
• The essay must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
• No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than an authorized one.
• Word limit, as specified, should be adhered to.
• Any page or portion of the page left blank must be struck off clearly.

SECTION – A

Write any one of the following essays in 1000-1200 words (125 marks)

• Wisdom finds truth
• Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be
• Best for an Individual is not necessarily best for society
• Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success

SECTION – B

• South Asian societies are woven not around the state but around their plural cultures and identities.
• Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness
• Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy
• Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of a jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling.

Quick Analysis by ClearIAS.com

Candidates were asked to write two essays, one each from Sections A and B.

All four questions in Section A were more or less general in nature. Nothing specific was mentioned except key terms like ‘wisdom’, ‘values’ ‘courage’ etc., and hence all essays were philosophical in a broad context.

Learn more from: ClearIAS Study Materials

Section B sought from candidates their knowledge and expertise in specific topics. While the first question was specific to South Asian Societies, the second essay focussed on health care and education – that too on a primary level.

It is interesting to note that UPSC picked the bias in the media as the 3rd question in Section B.

The Essay Paper finished with a question on Artificial Intelligence , a widely expected current topic. Candidates should note that this was listed among the most important topics in the ClearIAS Current Affairs Backgrounder .

In general, the Essay Question Paper of the UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2019 was devoid of any ambiguities. It straight away touched on the relevant topics. As almost all questions were kind of answerable, the presentation and writing skills would make the difference in marks.

How to download the question paper as a PDF?

Aspirants just need to click here to download the essay question paper. Alternatively, you can scroll down and use the print-PDF option.

Also read:  General Studies Paper 1 (GS1) Question Paper – UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2019

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Wisdom finds truth

• March 12, 2023
• Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
• Category: Sunday Essay Sadhna

PJACAD (PRACIN JAIN ACADEMY)

• Feb 13, 2020

Wisdom finds truth

Updated: Feb 19, 2020

The nature of both wisdom and truth is highly subjective which means the basic or inherent character of the two is influenced by personal feelings or opinions. Perhaps this is the reason while in his search for truth for six years, Gautama could not find the answer to end suffering although he took the help of the wisest teachers of the time. He realised that enlightenment was beyond objective facts. That “beyond” has always been wisdom.

Wisdom is about the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement. This quality could make a person inventor, innovator and/or discoverer irrespective of his or her work domain which could be either physical or metaphysical or both. One of the best examples is Albert Einstein. He is not only best known for his theory of relativity and the equation E=MC2 but also for his wisdom quotes such as “Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.”

Under normal conditions, anything which is true or in accordance with fact or reality is the truth. We use different expressions for it like the fact of the matter, what actually happened, the case, facts, certainty, authenticity etc., though the truth giving meaning to human life is evolutionary assertion dependent on the essence of the subject. And to acknowledge the essence of any subject, wisdom is a prerequisite. Thus searching for truth involves wisdom as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence.

It is difficult to find the truth without wisdom. We, at large, know ethics of the Bhagavad Gita. It talks about the truths which are universal so they have universal application. These truths are (1) Immortality of the Soul, (2) Immanence of God, (3) Impermanence of the world, (4) Immediacy of Liberation. But how many of us really recognize the doctrine of the Immanence of God? We know, God is the Indweller of everyone. He is the witness of our thoughts. People around us watch our actions and hear our words, whereas God watches not only our actions, but the motives and intentions that prompt them. In spite of this, the most common thing, anywhere and everywhere, we face is the trust deficit.

Knowing the truth is not about finding it. To find the truth one has to recognize it. Recognizing truth requires realising wisdom which means a blend of experience, knowledge, and good judgement about the subject has utmost importance. To recognize the doctrine of the Immanence of God necessitates realizing wisdom related to it. That is what Lord Krishna answers in chapter three, verses 37 and 38 (Bhagavadgita). Only wisdom makes us understand that it is lust which later transformed into wrath, which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world. As fire is covered by smoke, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of lust. Greed, dishonesty and corruption are all by-products of this lust. To be happy, successful and well situated in real terms, the Gita says, one must control different degrees of different dimensions of lust. A person who understands it will try to experience it, consequently he would find the truth behind the life.

Integrity is the virtue. That is its truth. However it is not that simple. This truth has no dimension unless a person doesn’t practice what one preaches. Or more importantly, practicing what one believes is right. To ascertain something right, a person needs wisdom which designates a 'man of principle' as not a man who understands a principle, but a man who understands, accepts, and lives by a principle. Here, too, wisdom and truth seem inseparable.

The prevailing truth regarding stress is misleading where mostly we believe that the environment controls events. Psychologically, the stress we feel is often based on our individual perception of a situation and this is why some people suffer more than others. The person having wisdom or quality of being wise, will suffer less, as American psychologist Julian Rotter describes this as our 'locus of control' or the extent to which an individual feels that they have control over a situation. Wisdom can make locus of control internal, in that we believe we have control over our lives, so could manage our stress.

Even this is the very idea reflecting through the Pillars of Indian Culture: Ṛta, Ṛṇa, Dharma. The awareness of ṛta (cosmic law: when we realize ṛta, the value of the whole of creation, we are humbled and naturally become more caring towards the universe) leads to the realization of ṛṇa (the word ṛṇa refers to ‘being in debt’ – of a physical, monetary kind, every human being by birth carries this baggage of ṛṇa), which in turn motivates one to pursue dharma. The way to clear ṛṇa is by adhering to dharma. Knowledge of Ṛta and Ṛṇa is wisdom, whereas Dharma is truth to be sought. Together they make us feel the Purushartha which is the "object of human pursuit” is the blueprint for human fulfilment. Its “Dharma” component is about true purpose in life and the ethical basis on which one lives one’s life at the same time one accepts his conscienced decision making.

Abovementioned notions of reasoning show where there is truth, there is wisdom. Where there is wisdom, there is truth. They mirror each other and seem to be indivisible, indissoluble and inextricable. This is well reflected in the great people’s philosophies or their way of living, for instance, for Mahatma Gandhi the quest for “Truth” largely depended upon the truth about the self. And his wisdom stated that an individual's "highest duty in life is to serve mankind and take his share in bettering its condition", which could not be done unless one understands and respects the self.

Similarly, ‘good’ to G.E.Moore means the word ‘Good’ is indefinable because the quality ‘goodness’ is a simple, unanalysable and non - complex property. Hedonists commit this fallacy because they explain the meaning of ‘good’ by reference to pleasure which is a particular mode of experience. Pleasure may be more or less good, but it does not enable one to know what is really meant by good, and hence the truth. Plato recognised wisdom as one of his four cardinal virtues and defined it as the rational part of the soul. It is an all-embracing virtue. It is moral insight into the duties in a concrete situation and performing them. It is practical wisdom which is implied in all moral actions. The same case is with Kant’s Categorical Imperative, explicitly asserted that actions are right only when they are done for the sake of duty - only in so far as they are performed for the sake of their rightness.

The journey from Prince Siddhartha, the son of the king of the Sakya people, to Gautama Buddha was all about “the dynamics of wisdom-truth relations” which concluded with “four noble truths”: (1) existence is suffering; (2) this suffering is caused by human craving; (3) there is a cessation of the suffering, which is nirvana; and (4) nirvana can be achieved, in this or future lives, through the “eightfold path” of right views, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

The above postulations have empirical realizations experienced in the form of a dignified human life which confirms that truth and wisdom are “conjoint, covalent and reciprocal”.

© Pracin Jain Academy

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