Wisdom-Lost and Rediscovered (The Future of Western Civilization Series 1)

Professor Jim Garrison interviewed by Psychiatrist Dr Nicholas Beecroft. What is wisdom? How is it distinct from knowledge, truth, logic and science? Is it gut feeling, heart-brain, neurological and cognitive short cuts, tapping into electromagnetic energy, consciousness, all of that or something else? Western Science and philosophy evolved for a reason-partly because they work and improve our lives (trains, computers, medicine) and partly because they took us out of mediaeval tyranny of superstition, religious fundamentalism and serfdom. We obviously don't want to go back to that but are becoming aware that we threw out a few babies with the bathwater. How can we access and nurture our wisdom? How can we integrate it with the best of science and reason? Do they synergize or run in parallel or do they apply for different purposes? What would medicine be like if we accessed our wisdom? How do you envisage the world would be if we all learn to use our wisdom? When we drop the rigor of science and reason, there's a risk of falling back into superstitions and false beliefs which at best can be a waste of time, can be harmful. How do you discern what's true from what's wishful thinking, imaginary, delusional or manipulative?

Dr. Jim Garrison is President and Chairman of Wisdom University. He teaches several courses at Wisdom University, including the core course Wisdom and Civilization. In this interview with Nicholas Beecroft, Jim sets out his vision to restore wisdom to a central place in our way of life. He describes wisdom and its relationship to science and reason. He discusses how wisdom can be used in medicine, politics and says he believes it's essential to our survival.

Previously, he founded and served as President of the Gorbachev Foundation/USA and the State of the World Forum, both San Francisco-based nonprofit institutions created to establish a global network of leaders dedicated to creating a more sustainable global civilization. With President Gorbachev as its convening chairman, the Forum brought together leaders from around the world in a variety of disciplines to its annual and regional conferences and catalyzed the creation of several independent organizations.

The Future of Western Civilization Series 1

Dr Nicholas Beecroft, a Military and Organizational Psychiatrist, has spent 25 years exploring the worlds of Medicine, Psychiatry, Business, International Relations and the Military. In the Future of Western Civilization Series, he interviews visionary leaders to discover their inspiring, positive and practical visions for the future and challenges them with incisive questions.