Wonder and Wisdom: Wandering through Space and Time

Abstract

My article undertakes a journey to connect pathways between wonder and wisdom, starting with ancient Greek philosophy, the love of wisdom. Every journey, whether physical, emotional, intellectual, and/or spiritual, has at its core a conception of where one is situated in space and time. The ancient term kaleo (to be called, summoned, or invited) is relevant to the expression of my inner voice in these current wanderings of thought. To wonder is to consider origins: the wonder of time; the wonder of space; the wonder of life on earth. Understanding the world we inhabit and the cosmos we observe has been prevalent in religious, philosophical, and psychological thought throughout the millennia. An attribution to Socrates is the adage, “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom,” that derives from Plato’s Dialogues concerning the nature of knowledge, with Socrates recounted as saying: “Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.” As in ancient times, how our planet earth, the sun, and the moon relate to the planets of our solar system and the galaxies; the composition of the stars; the music of the spheres; and the manifestation of humanity in the universe intrigue us to wonder. And to wander is to follow a winding pathway, like the course of the twisting Meander River in Asia Minor of antiquity. My reasoning for going on this winding, wondrous journey in exploring the wisdom of the past is to enhance and illuminate knowledge for present application and future consideration, transcendence, and transformation of nous, or mind.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author wishes to acknowledge Elinor Nauen for her editorial assistance.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bessie Karras Katsilometes

Bessie Karras Katsilometes, PhD, is a retired higher education administrator. She is chair of the board of directors for Full Circle Health, a federally qualified health center and teaching health center training broad-spectrum family medicine and pediatric physicians, fellows, clinical pharmacists, and clinical psychologists to work in Idaho with emphasis on serving vulnerable populations in rural areas. Her interest in Jungian psychology began with her mother sharing knowledge of the Oneirocritica, a book of ancient Greek dream interpretation, and continued with mentorship by her doctoral advisor, Robin Robertson, PhD.