someone who has attained the wisdom which a philosopher seeks
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Sage_(philosophy)
Sage (philosophy) - Wikipedia
October 29, 2025 - Horace describes the Sphairos as "Completely within itself, well-rounded and spherical, so that nothing extraneous can adhere to it, because of its smooth and polished surface." Alternatively, the sage is one who lives "according to an ideal which transcends the everyday." Several of the schools of Hellenistic philosophy have the sage as a featured figure.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
plato.stanford.edu › entries › african-sage
African Sage Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
February 14, 2006 - The expression acquired its currency from a project conducted by the late Kenyan philosopher Henry Odera Oruka (1944–1995), whose primary aim was to establish, with evidence, that critical reflection upon themes of fundamental importance has always been the concern of a select few in African societies. These themes involve questions regarding the nature of the supreme being, the concept of the person, the meaning of freedom, equality, death and the belief in the afterlife. The evidence that Oruka collected regarding the rational elaboration of such themes by indigenous sages is contained in dialogues, many of which appear in his classic text, Sage Philosophy: Indigenous Thinkers and Modern Debate on African Philosophy (1990).
Videos
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HAP 25 - Wise Guys - Sage Philosophy - YouTube
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Sage (philosophy) - YouTube
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African Sage Philosophy: Critical Thought in Indigenous Traditions ...
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Contemplating the Stoic Sage with Phil Yanov - YouTube
Encyclopedia.com
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Sage Philosophy | Encyclopedia.com
SAGE PHILOSOPHY. Sage philosophy is a body of knowledge attributed to wise men and women in communities and is regarded to be philosophically significant for both its content and its critical approach to the sustenance and growth of knowledge at the communal level.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
iep.utm.edu › african-sage
African Sage Philosophy | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
In these circumstances, the important criteria “was not their mere variance from the communal beliefs of the sages’ own groups but also a theoretical account provided by the sage as the foundation of his or her own view. . . The sage attends to the rationality of views rather than to the judgment of the group” (Masolo “Sage”). One of the tensions found within sage philosophy is that, while Oruka privileged sages critical of their societies’ prejudices, as in the examples above, on the other hand he championed sages who hold in high esteem traditional values forgotten or marginalized by young Kenyans.
Big Think
bigthink.com › articles › what-is-the-difference-between-a-philosopher-and-a-sage
What is the Difference between a Sage and a Philosopher? - Big Think
September 30, 2021 - They understand the combinations and ambiguities of these in the lives of persons and in the affairs of peoples, and their understanding allow them so to follow the trail of what is important through the underbrush of triviality that they cleave to what is essential. Sages are those who understand people. What people? Anyone. […] Sages must live from long experience, not from intuitive encounters.” ... “Judgment”, according to Immanuel Kant, the father of German rationality, is subjective universality. It means: “being indifferent to the existence of the object”. As a result of that indifference, the philosopher’s judgments will be (ideally) “free from interest and inclinations”. A philosopher does not need to connect to anything or anyone, nor does he have to be a morally good person (as saints do) or prove himself a worthy member of the community (as sages do).
JRank
science.jrank.org › pages › 8066 › Sage-Philosophy.html
Sage Philosophy - Historical Origins, Relation Between Sage Philosophy And Popular Myths, Conclusion, Bibliography - Critical, Knowledge, Communities, and Sense - JRank Articles
Sage philosophy is a body of knowledge attributed to wise men and women in communities and is regarded to be philosophically significant for both its content and its critical approach to the sustenance and growth of knowledge at the communal level.
Quora
quora.com › What-are-the-main-characteristics-of-sage-philosophy
What are the main characteristics of sage philosophy? - Quora
Answer: Sage philosophy ensures the growth and keeping of knowledge at the communal level both in content and critical approach by the wise or judicious men and woman of their groups.
Boston University
bu.edu › wcp › Papers › Afri › AfriPres.htm
20th WCP: Who Counts as a Sage? Problems in the Further Implementation of Sage Philosophy
The present need for studies of African sages is to benefit from their wisdom, both in Africa and around the world. I also suggest that the title sage has to be problematized. While there were good reasons to focus earlier on rural elders as overlooked wise philosophers, the emphasis now should be on admiring philosophical thought wherever it may be foundin women, youth, and urban Africans as well.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/askphilosophy › why professional philosophers aren't considered sages?
r/askphilosophy on Reddit: Why professional Philosophers aren't considered sages?
September 10, 2023 -
For the majority of history, being a philosopher was identical to being a sage that even these terms were interchangeable in many philosophical traditions.
Why current professional philosophers aren't referred to as sages, in the contemporary era?
Is because contemporary philosophy is purely intellectual effort, while Sageness implies a practical effort accompanying the intellectual effort?
If that so, then why contemporary Thomist scholars aren't referred to as Sages, unlike ancient & medieval christians?
Did this "Intellectualization" of Philosophy effect even contemporary religious philosophies?
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Why current professional philosophers aren't referred to as sages, in the contemporary era? Because referring to oneself as "a sage" would be viewed as, at best, exceedingly quirky, and, at worst (and this is the most likely outcome) deeply, deeply pretentious.
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I don't think this is a bad question, but I'd push back on your assumption that none of the people who study philosophy are also practicing philosophy in the ancient sense. You mention Thomists, to take a single example consider Garrigou-Lagrange's "The Three Stages of the Spiritual Life" - this book is all about prayer and virtue and mysticism, but he was also a serious Thomist who did lots of academic work. And when I read Simplicius' commentary on Epictetus, it was quite close to what Christian writers in ascetic theology talk about including Garrigou-Lagrange (same division of purgatio/illuminatio/unio etc). In general Catholicism does not view philosophy/theology and ascesis as being really separable; John of the Cross, Augustine, Maximus the Confessor, you could list names for a long time, all of them studied academic philosophy seriously. Even Albert the Great, who you might think of as more of an academic than the others inasmuch as his reputation is as a natural scientist and commentator on all of Aristotle, wrote about mysticism and prayer. Other religions are like this too, I just don't know enough about them to say much, but for example Buddhism has a complex tradition of intellectual philosophy and debate, but it's pursued in the context of spiritual practice. Further, even philosophers who aren't at all "churched" - consider the philosopher Peter Singer, who lives as simply as possible and gives most of his money to charity because of a utilitarian ethic that is totally atheist. Or I know a professor who describes himself as a religious Platonist, and he definitely lives an upright life and volunteers etc. And then, even people like me who basically do treat philosophy as an intellectual pursuit, and aren't particularly wise or sage-like - few philosophers are sociopathic, anyway. It's hard to imagine someone who studies philosophy engaging in outright antisocial behavior and so on, because intellectual pursuits are elevating in themselves, and I'd say the same thing for mathematicians etc. (And there are socioeconomic factors, it need hardly be said). Grappling with the complex thinking of a stranger, especially a stranger you're biased against in some way, would probably tend to strengthen empathy in its own right (and this is not unique to philosophy of course). Certainly, though, philosophers were not generally referred to as sages or any similar term in the west, unless they had already been dead for a good amount of time. But in general people don't talk about their do-gooding or meditation or prayer, first because it would make you look like a jackass, second because all of these traditions see pride as an obstacle. Aristotle writes about pride as a virtue, but there's a difference between pride and arrogance. In the Phaedo Socrates says that every pleasure and every pain is like a nail riveting the soul to the body - but complacent contemplation of your own supposed virtue is just such a pleasure, and even though Socrates clearly did think that he had some special gift, he was usually respectful to others.
CORE
core.ac.uk › download › pdf › 210995319.pdf pdf
AFRICAN SAGE PHILOSOPHY AND SOCRATES
Is this · the kind of messenger Masinde was? If it were only a case of meeting Oruka's definition of · caring about the ethics of their society, then surely Socrates and Masinde have that in common— ... VI. CONCLUSION: SAGACITY AND PHILOSOPHICAL REASON · We can find in Oruka's works a careful description of what it means to be a sage, and the · importance ...
Philosocom
philosocom.com › post › the-sage
The Rubinshteinic Philosophy On The Sage
February 25, 2025 - It's important to recognize that true sagehood is not a title to be bestowed lightly, as for one to be a sage, one must be capable of dispensing wisdom on a regular basis and be recognized as distinct in this field. True sagehood represents a greater level of wisdom, self-mastery and other such virtues, attained through a lifelong journey of self-discovery and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge and truth. The overuse of the term "sage", along with "philosopher" risks trivializing this concept , thus taking out its original purpose due the ever-developing nature of our language.
Springer
link.springer.com › home › the palgrave handbook of african philosophy › chapter
Oruka and Sage Philosophy: New Insights in Sagacious Reasoning | SpringerLink
The chapter begins with an overview of the earliest beginnings of the sage philosophy project, first in its near precursors (such as Radin’s and Griaule’s research) and its coming to birth with Odera Oruka’s efforts, in the context of encouragement...
Brill
brill.com › display › title › 3180
Sage Philosophy – Indigenous Thinkers and Modern Debate on African Philosophy | Brill
June 8, 2022 - Sage Philosophy is an anthology of three main parts: Part one contains papers by Odera Oruka clearing the way and arguing about his research over the last decade on indigenous sages in Kenya. Part Two introduces verbatim interviews with a given number of those sages, while Part Three consists of published papers by scholars who are critics or commentators on the Oruka project.
History of Philosophy
historyofphilosophy.net › sage-philosophy
25. Wise Guys: Sage Philosophy | History of Philosophy without any gaps
Odera's project I believe, was meant to be (a beginning or) a continuation rather than an end to recording indigenous ideas, thought and philosophies. For those who had the privilege of sitting with Prof Odera Oruka in a social or intellectual setting, one thing stood out. No doubt, Odera Oruka was himself a sage. He had a way of making complex discussions simple. In Africa, they say every African village has a sage. However, the main difference is that a sage can do philosophy, but not every philosopher is a sage.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
plato.stanford.edu › archives › spr2016 › entries › african-sage
African Sage Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Spring 2016 Edition)
February 14, 2006 - The expression acquired its currency from a project conducted by the late Kenyan philosopher Henry Odera Oruka (1944–1995), whose primary aim was to establish, with evidence, that critical reflection upon themes of fundamental importance has always been the concern of a select few in African societies. These themes involve questions regarding the nature of the supreme being, the concept of the person, the meaning of freedom, equality, death and the belief in the afterlife. The evidence that Oruka collected regarding the rational elaboration of such themes by indigenous sages is contained in dialogues, many of which appear in his classic text, Sage Philosophy: Indigenous Thinkers and Modern Debate on African Philosophy (1990).
Reddit
reddit.com › r/stoicism › who are the sages?
r/Stoicism on Reddit: Who are the Sages?
November 21, 2013 -
In Donald Robertson's The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, there is an interesting exercise one can practice inspired by Stoicism:
" 3.1. Periodically try to contemplate the ideal of the sage, try to put his philosophical attitudes into a few plain words, what must he tell himself when faced with the same adversities you must overcome? Memorize these precepts and try to apply them yourself. Ask yourself, 'What would someone with absolute wisdom do today?' Adopt a role model such as Socrates, or someone whose wisdom and courage you admire."
Who would your sage be? Personally, I find it easier to consider fictional examples with the exception of some of the Stoic philosophers themselves. Possibly this might reflect my studies in Medieval literature (where the moral of the story was often of more importance than its literal truth).
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I just finished reading Philosophy as a Way of Life by Pierre Hadot and he had an interesting view of the sage. He saw the sage as a transcendent ideal or norm. The sage, in other words, is one who is a perfect actualization of wisdom. Philosophers, being 'human, all too human', are therefore not sages but those who are aware that they lack wisdom (i.e. Socrates' claim that he is wisest because he alone knows that he lacks wisdom). Lacking wisdom, the philosopher desires wisdom, and as a lover of wisdom one who strives to become a sage. The philosopher is therefore one who is devoted to the perfection of his/her being through the attainment of wisdom (although the complete actualization of wisdom is not possible for human beings). "The philosopher lives in an intermediate state. He is not a sage, but he is not a non-sage, either. He is therefore constantly torn between the non-philosophical and the philosophical life, between the domain of the habitual and the everyday, on the one hand, and, on the other, the domain of consciousness and lucidity." (Pierre Hadot)
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For me, I always come back to the big man himself. . . Superman. He has absolute power but uses it to fight for others. He could crush coal into diamonds but instead holds down a day job where he routinely allows himself to be made fun of by his co-workers. He could use his power to force solutions upon us, but instead seeks to be an example and let's people make their own mistakes. all in all, a much better role model than the ever popular Batman.
Cornell
philosophy.cornell.edu
Sage School of Philosophy | Sage School of Philosophy
Students at every level and in every area of intellectual endeavor find opportunity to engage with great philosophical ideas and problems and develop the critical thinking and analytical skills necessary for advancing our understanding of them. Undergraduate Program Graduate Program Courses Faculty Contacts ... After a long career onstage and off, Ellen Stekert ’57 is focused on preservation—releasing songs from her vast archive on Bandcamp.
Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-difference-between-a-philosopher-and-a-sage
What is the difference between a philosopher and a sage? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): I will speak as a Hindu, in the typical meanings we use those words. A philosopher is an ordinary person, but much more intelligent. In Hinduism, a philosopher is called a daarshanik, which is derived from Darshan or vision. So a daarshanik is a person who has insights into subj...
Orion Philosophy
orionphilosophy.com › home › the stoic sage: the role model of the ancient stoics
The Stoic Sage: The Role Model of the Ancient Stoics - Orion Philosophy
February 21, 2024 - For a Stoic, rationality and logical thinking are the cornerstones of the entire philosophy, especially when facing difficulties. The Sage, therefore, is someone who has mastered the art of living according to reason.