On Wisdom

31: The Meaning of Wisdom Before and During the Pandemic (with Ricca Edmondson)

November 10th, 2020  |  44 mins 51 secs

big wisdom, constructivism, covid19, culture, ethnography, funerals, meaning, pandemic, practical wisdom, reflection, social distancing, sociology

Does wisdom reside in particular persons, or is wisdom more about what happens between people? And if wisdom does require a social context, what are the implications of our new social distancing habits since the rise of the pandemic? Ricca Edmondson joins Igor and Charles to discuss novel ethnographic approaches to the study of wisdom, the significance of Irish funeral rituals, new lessons from old Trojan horses, and the value of framing wisdom as a social construction. Originally recorded at the start of the pandemic, Ricca returned for a retrospective at the close of the episode, to share her opinions on the meaning of wisdom in these rapidly changing times, and in our future post-pandemic society. Igor muses about big and small wisdom, and Charles asks Ricca about the world after the pandemic. Welcome to the wisdom and pandemic episode!