What Is Wisdom? A Unified 6P Framework

Abstract

In this article, we propose a “6P” unified framework for understanding wisdom and accounts of wisdom: purpose, press, problems, persons, processes, products. We discuss wisdom in terms of these 6Ps, which expand and elaborate upon 4Ps originally suggested for models of creativity. We open the article with a discussion of the importance of wisdom. Then, we consider some past accounts of wisdom. We begin by considering explicit models of wisdom and then implicit models (folk theories) of wisdom, first Western and then non-Western. Next, we elaborate upon the 6P framework. We then consider how existing models differ from one another in terms of the 6P framework. Then, we discuss how the 6P framework elucidates the development of wisdom. Finally, we draw conclusions, in particular, that a complete model of wisdom ultimately would need to specify all of the 6Ps, but it is not clear that any current models do so.