What Is Knowledge And How Does It Relate To Wisdom

What is knowledge, and how does it relate to wisdom? In An Essay Concerning Human Understanding the renowned John Locke defines knowledge as “simple ideas, which come exclusively through experience” (Locke). Locke also states that knowledge is not innate, he says that since there are multiple worldviews on things like the existence of God, it is impossible to assert that there is such thing as innate knowledge (Locke). The commonly held definition of wisdom, is “the synthesis of knowledge and experiences into insights that deepen one’s understanding of relationships and the meaning of life” (Justarius). It is widely agreed that wisdom does not come from education, but instead through personal thought and development, meaning that you can’t study wisdom. If all of this is true,

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Ecc. 12. 12-13). Remember this is the same King Solomon who had been talking about the benefits and downfalls of wisdom. Here Solomon says that wisdom is a benefit of life to gain understanding, but the sole purpose of our existence is to please God, so focus on that. But in other portions of the bible, it says to live life wisely, and avoid thinking like the foolish. Part of God’s will is to be a wise person. Similarly, the poet Kahlil Gibran said, “The wise man is the one who loves and reveres God” (61). To Gibran, reverence to God defines a man who is wise. In most religions, reverence to a god leads to joy and prosperity. Therefore, it can be implied that Gibran believes wisdom leads to happiness. In the same sense, Solomon had his wisdom gifted to him by God, and by using the wisdom that was gifted him, he was able to serve God. The theme of wisdom playing a role in religion goes to show that wisdom is widely seen as a key to obtaining the eternal joy strived for in multiple