WISDOM — FROM PHILOSOPHY TO NEUROSCIENCE by Stephen S. Hall. Alfred A. Knopf, 2010
QUOTE by Gandhi = "Man has two windows to his mind: through one he can see his own self as it is; through the other, he can see what it ought to be. It is our task to analyse and explore the body, the brain and the mind of man separately; but if we stop here, we derive no benefit despite our scientific knowledge.

It is ncecessary to know about the evil effects of injustice, wickedness, vanity and the like, and the disaster they spell where the three are found together. And mere knowledge is not enough; it should be followed by appropriate action. An ethical idea is like an architect's plan."

    PART 1 — WISDOM DEFINED --- SORT OF (1-57)

      1) WHAT IS WISDOM? (3-19)

      2) THE WISEST MAN IN THE WORLD --- the philosophical roots of wisdom (20-38)

      3) HEART AND MIND --- the Psychological roots of wisdom (39-57)

    PART 2 — EIGHT NEURAL PILLARS OF WISDOM (59-113)

      4) EMOTIONAL REGULATION --- the Art of coping (61-78)

      5) KNOWING WHAT'S IMPORTANT --- the Neural mechanism of establishing value and making a judgment (79-97)

      6) MORAL REASONING --- the Biology of judging right from wrong (98-114)

      7) COMPASSION --- the Biology of loving-kindness and empathy (115-132)

      8) HUMILITY --- the Gift of perspective (133-146)

      9) ALTRUISM --- Social justice, fairness, and the wisdom of punishment (147-168)

      10) PATIENCE --- Temptation, delayed gratification, and the biology of learning to wait for larger rewards (169-189)

      11) DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTY --- Change, "Meta-Wisdom," and the vulcanization of the human brain (190-209)

    PART 3 — BECOMING WISE (210-272)

      12) YOUTH, ADVERSITY, AND RESILIENCE --- the Seeds of wisdom (211-226)

      13) OLDER AND WISER --- the Wisdom of aging (227-240)

      14) CLASSROOM, BOARDROOM, BEDROOM, BACK ROOM --- Everyday wisdom in our everyday world (241-263)

      15) DARE TO BE WISE --- Does wisdom have a future (264-272)

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- Confucius says... (273-278)

    NOTES (279-303)

    BIBLIOGRAPHY (303-318)

    INDEX (319-333)

    PERMISSIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (335)

    A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR (337)
Return to Essay-Set #1: Focus on the Self-Liberation Philosophy