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For Love of Wisdom: Essays on the Nature of Philosophy
In these elegant and engaging essays, the internationally acclaimed Thomist, Josef Pieper, defines and defends philosophy as the search for and love of wisdom. True philosophy is not the work of joyless academics pondering over esoteric writings that have no relation to real life. Rather, the philosophical act, in which all reasonable men can participate, begins in wonder at what is, and gratitude for what is given, and ends in love. In his encyclical letter Fides et Ratio (On the Relationship between Faith and Reason), Pope John Paul II called for a revitalization of true philosophy, for man can find fulfillment “only in choosing to enter the truth, to make a home under the shade of Wisdom and dwell there.” Pieper’s essays make the same ardent and convincing plea. Josef Pieper is renowned for having popularized the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, a brilliant student of St. Thomas who, in his own voluminous works, has made the deep thought of the “Angelic Doctor” more accessible and understandable to the modern reader.
- GenresPhilosophy
335 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2007
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About the author
Josef Pieper
143 books312 followersJosef Pieper was a German Catholic philosopher and an important figure in the resurgence of interest in the thought of Thomas Aquinas in early-to-mid 20th-century philosophy. Among his most notable works are The Four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance; Leisure, the Basis of Culture; and Guide to Thomas Aquinas (published in England as Introduction to Thomas Aquinas).
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 31, 2025
An excellent collection if essays for anyone interested in questions around what it means to philosophize, liberal arts education, and tradition. the translators do a great job conveying Pieper's masterful prose and Pieper's thought is rich in insight and understanding of the History of Philosophy in its perennial relevance.
July 10, 2008
An amazing book! Pieper is one of my favorite philosophers, and to read this rather long book of his on philosophy itself was a joy. I refrain from giving it a five-star rating for two reason: first, Pieper, at times, repeats his thesis a bit too much. After the first two sections I felt that I was reading again and again the same thing, said only slightly differently. The second reason is a failing of my own, and that is that I didn't know as much as Pieper expects me to know about the history of philosophy and (at times) the Latin language. Some essays completely lost me and I felt I got little out of them because Pieper was talking over my head.
All in all, though, an very pure and knowledgeable view of the world. I love this book!
All in all, though, an very pure and knowledgeable view of the world. I love this book!
July 10, 2022
This is a book about philosophising, rather than philosophy.’ That is the concluding summary (Kindle 82%) and offers a helpful way of understanding the book. Philosophy is an academic subject with a distinct corpus of content. Philosophising is a methodology and it is that living breathing methodology which seems to be of particular interest to Pieper.
Many of the essays originated as speeches, and this is apparent in the way that the pieces try to be self contained. Reading them, it occurred to me that this is a book which could work well in audiobook format, as readers can dip in a chapter at a time and potentially listen to the pieces in any order.
The content of the pieces all revolve around philosophical themes and they are essentially Pieper’s mature musings on topical issues. We occasionally get analyses of language, as when he notes the irony that the word ‘school’ originally meant ‘leisure’ (3%) because philosophical reflection was a matter of opening the mind to understanding, and that required the tranquility of leisure.
This ancient practice of philosophising in leisure is the origins of the distinction between ‘ratio’ as rationalising and ‘intellectus’ as the mental grasping of reality. Philosophising requires a bit of logical reasoning, but its ancient heart lay in the contemplative insight which can only occur when the mind is free of anxiety in leisurely contemplation. When we look at modern philosophical faculties in universities, especially those in the Anglo-American tradition, philosophy can seem to be almost the reverse. It looks like a mainly rationalising activity with the occasional insight thrown in. It is a surprising conclusion to think that the ancient practice of philosophising is sometimes more to be found in contemplative religious communities, than universities.
Moving into the modern era Marx lambasted a view of philosophy as understanding the world. To him philosophy was about changing the world. Perhaps the distinction would more naturally be cast now in terms of a difference between philosophy and a discipline like sociology. If Pieper had lived long enough to see the modern focus upon identity politics, power and oppression, he would undoubtedly have wanted to contrast philosophers engaged in those activities with the very different way philosophy was understood in the preceding couple of millennia.
At times Pieper engages with Brentano’s worries about the impracticality of Philosophy. At other times it is Sartre’s model of existentialism, or Heidegger’s conception of truth. In other essays it is Pascal’s attempt to differentiate the use of authority from its misuse in the natural sciences.
In a particular interesting set of essays Pieper explores the idea of tradition, and especially the contrast between a Divine Tradition and a human custom. One of the important roles of tradition is to supplement instruction for as Dr. Johnson put it, ‘people need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed’ (65%)
Overall this is a very readable book, although it does engage with complicated philosophical ideas in places so readers may need to occasionally pause for reflection. Around 15% of the book is footnotes, so readers can follow up ideas which they are interested in.
Many of the essays originated as speeches, and this is apparent in the way that the pieces try to be self contained. Reading them, it occurred to me that this is a book which could work well in audiobook format, as readers can dip in a chapter at a time and potentially listen to the pieces in any order.
The content of the pieces all revolve around philosophical themes and they are essentially Pieper’s mature musings on topical issues. We occasionally get analyses of language, as when he notes the irony that the word ‘school’ originally meant ‘leisure’ (3%) because philosophical reflection was a matter of opening the mind to understanding, and that required the tranquility of leisure.
This ancient practice of philosophising in leisure is the origins of the distinction between ‘ratio’ as rationalising and ‘intellectus’ as the mental grasping of reality. Philosophising requires a bit of logical reasoning, but its ancient heart lay in the contemplative insight which can only occur when the mind is free of anxiety in leisurely contemplation. When we look at modern philosophical faculties in universities, especially those in the Anglo-American tradition, philosophy can seem to be almost the reverse. It looks like a mainly rationalising activity with the occasional insight thrown in. It is a surprising conclusion to think that the ancient practice of philosophising is sometimes more to be found in contemplative religious communities, than universities.
Moving into the modern era Marx lambasted a view of philosophy as understanding the world. To him philosophy was about changing the world. Perhaps the distinction would more naturally be cast now in terms of a difference between philosophy and a discipline like sociology. If Pieper had lived long enough to see the modern focus upon identity politics, power and oppression, he would undoubtedly have wanted to contrast philosophers engaged in those activities with the very different way philosophy was understood in the preceding couple of millennia.
At times Pieper engages with Brentano’s worries about the impracticality of Philosophy. At other times it is Sartre’s model of existentialism, or Heidegger’s conception of truth. In other essays it is Pascal’s attempt to differentiate the use of authority from its misuse in the natural sciences.
In a particular interesting set of essays Pieper explores the idea of tradition, and especially the contrast between a Divine Tradition and a human custom. One of the important roles of tradition is to supplement instruction for as Dr. Johnson put it, ‘people need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed’ (65%)
Overall this is a very readable book, although it does engage with complicated philosophical ideas in places so readers may need to occasionally pause for reflection. Around 15% of the book is footnotes, so readers can follow up ideas which they are interested in.
July 20, 2016
Brilliant
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews