...Wisdom is more than intellectual application of rules. It is more than just knowledge. Wisdom is knowledge plus empathy, it’s understanding the reality of a situation, and responding in ways that take the people’s state of mind and emotion into account.
This is clear in the account of King Solomon, who in the Bible has a dispute brought to him. Two women claim to be the mother of a baby, each has a compelling case. Solomon then orders the baby to be cut in half, with each mother getting a half of the child. One of the women suddenly gives in, and says that it’s better for the other woman to have the child then to have it killed. Solomon then awarded the child to that woman — she cared more about the child’s life than her claim on the child. That wasn’t application of an intellectual formula, that was empathy of the human condition, and wisdom.
So yes, I want empathy. I don’t want judicial activism or a litmus test on abortion, if the word “empathy” is a code, I don’t want the code. I want the real thing, a justice with knowledge of the law, empathy and wisdom
scotterb.wordpress.com |
