What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think
Professor in Philosophy and Director of the African Centre for Epistemology and Philosophy of Science, University of Johannesburg
Veli Mitova receives funding from the John Templeton Foundation and the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences.
Maksim Rudnev does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
We all admire wise people, don’t we? Whether it’s a thoughtful teacher, a compassionate doctor, or an elder in the community, we recognise wisdom when we see it. But have you ever thought about how people in different cultures perceive wisdom? Does someone in Morocco view a wise person in the same way as someone in Ecuador? Our recent study explored how people across cultures think of wisdom.
This large-scale project required a joint effort of 34 researchers across fields of philosophy, psychology, anthropology, social science and psychometrics – and from all over the world, connected in a research consortium called The Geography of Philosophy.
