Summary and Analysis
Book VI:
Chapter V - Practical Wisdom
Summary
Practical wisdom or prudence is a true disposition toward action, by the aid of a right rule with regard to things good and bad for men (i.e., it is the power of right deliberation about things good for oneself). Practical wisdom is the quality of seeing what is good for oneself, or one's group in regard to any question, but it is not concerned with how particular things are made or how particular states, like health or strength, are produced, for these are among the objects of art. Unlike the scientific disposition, practical wisdom can be influenced by pleasure and pain. Because it is concerned with things that can be other than what they are, it has certain elements in common with opinion. In its particular manifestations, practical wisdom is the dominant element in such disciplines as political science, economics and household management, physical training, etc.