Chapter title Phronesis Affiliation Associate Professor Dr Nirmala Lee Guildhall School of Business & Law London Metropolitan University 166-220 Holloway Road London N7 8DB United Kingdom n.lee@londonmet.ac.uk Definitions and Description Phronesis is etymologically derived from the Greek φρόνησῐς, which means wisdom that has been acquired from learning and experience of practical matters. Socrates is said to have equated phronesis with virtue in his dialogues (See Plato’s Meno, circa 429-347 B.C). Phronesis is known as an Aristotelian concept meaning ‘practical wisdom’, which is concerned with how to act wisely in particular situations. Aristotle considered phronesis to be an ethical virtue closely connected the ultimate end of human well-being that is described as ‘eudaimonia’ from both individual and societal perspectives. In Nicomachean Ethics (circa 240 BC) phronesis is distinguished from other terms for wisdom and intellectual virtues such as episteme and techne which translate as knowledge, and art respectively. Phronesis introduces values into judgment and the decision-making process. The distinguishing quality of phronesis is the requirement to arrive at reasoned decision about action with regard to whether the outcome is thought to be advantageous (Martin, 2015). Through “phronesis”, an “insider- researcher” can “make good practical judgements about their research practice” (Gibbs et al., 2007:367). Phronesis is vital in relation to all matters that affect humanity including sustainability related matters. Synonyms ‘Prudence’ and ‘deliberation’ are often considered as synonyms for phronesis. While the Aristotelian concept of ‘sophia’ means wisdom, the term implies theoretical wisdom which is not necessarily wisdom in practice. ‘Praxis’ is closer in meaning to phronesis, and refers to thoughtful doing and reflective practice, while phronesis refers to wisdom expressed in the domain of practice. Phronesis and praxis emphasise wisdom in action, not just wisdom in theory. The western Greek concept of phronesis has been equated with the eastern Buddhist concept of mindfulness (McEvilley, 2002). Phronesis and ecological wisdom Two millennia after Aristotle, a jazz band formed in 2005 by Danish bass player Jasper Høiby took the name of ‘Phronesis’. The album cover to their 2018 release We Are All is a reference to the environmentalist John Muir. Muir was noted for being an ecological thinker, and known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", being an early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States of America. Oliver and Dennison (2013) believe that the two terms Phronesis and Praxis describe what needs to happen in environmental science, and that these two terms are at the core of developing a practical philosophy for environmental science: it is not adequate to have a knowledge of what needs to be done, or recommend what should be done; action is also required and this ‘doing’ in terms of environmental science can take the form of protection or restoration activities. As a Professor of Marine Science and Vice President for Science Applications at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) in the USA, Dennison recognises the importance of action in relation environmental science and sustainability issues. Competent project managers are required to take forward sustainability and environmental matters effectively, and phronesis and praxis are considered as key components of mapping standards and competence assessment approaches. The mediating role of praxis and phrónêsis between theory and practice is advocated by Bredillet et al (2015) to resolve the tension between performance and attribute-based approaches to competence assessment.