To Our Readers
This issue of Explorations has its roots in the idea that the pursuit of wisdom is not only desirable but vital. The problems confronting our world today indicate the urgent need for creative solutions that integrate diverse forms of knowledge, derived from the sciences, the arts, and the humanities, among others. One characteristic of wisdom involves a level of discernment that allows one to separate what matters from what does not, and to make the right, humane, contextual choices. Despite its modern neglect, the study of wisdom may be an attractive choice for the contemporary university, where multiple disciplines and points of view are concentrated and can be summoned easily to deal with the most complex issues of our time. The study of wisdom, however, poses special challenges, methodological and otherwise. Commonwealth Professor of Spanish Randolph Pope and his colleagues are leading a program that attempts to answer, as a first step, these two seemingly straightforward but rather complex questions: What is wisdom? Can we learn it and teach it? As the profiles in this issue indicate, wisdom is a rich vein for investigation for many University faculty members, leading directly from and circling back to our collective research enterprise. As the University’s research productivity continues to increase, so should our capacity for wisdom.
R. Ariel Gomez, M.D.
Vice President for Research & Graduate Studies
Professor, Pediatrics and Biology
