Answer:
The ancient Greeks considered wisdom to be the master virtue, the one that directs all the
others. Wisdom is good judgment. It enables us to make reasoned decisions that are both good for us
and good for others. Wisdom tells us how to put the other virtues into practice—when to act, how to
act, and how to balance different virtues when they conflict (as they do, for example, when telling the
honest truth might hurt someone’s feelings). Wisdom enables us to discern correctly, to see what is
truly important in life, and to set priorities. As the ethicist Richard Gula points out, “We cannot do right
unless we first see correctly.”
