Mohamed Hasn’s Reviews > The Nicomachean Ethics > Status Update

Prudence does not employ wisdom in her service, but provides means for the attainment of wisdom—doesn't rule it, but rules in its interest. To assert otherwise would be like asserting that statesmanship rules the gods because it issues orders about all public concerns (including the worship of gods).

"There are two forms of the calculative faculties, viz., cleverness and prudence, and two forms of moral qualities, viz., natural virtue and a fully developed virtue."

"Nevertheless, prudence is not the mistress of wisdom, any more than medicine is the mistress of health. Prudence does not employ wisdom in her service, but provides means for the attainment of wisdom—doesn't rule it, but rules in its interest."

"Again it seems to be a strange thing that prudence, though inferior to wisdom, must yet govern it, since in every field the practical faculty bears sway and issues orders."

"For if we wish to be in health, we don't go and learn medicine."

This is the reason why some men that lack [scientific] knowledge are more efficient in practice than others that have it, especially men of wide experience; for if you know that light meat is digestible and wholesome, but do not know what meats are light, you will not be able to cure people so well as a man who only knows that chicken is light and wholesome.