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Information about Wise Fool

The wise fool, or the wisdom of the fool is a theme that seems to contradict itself in which the fool may have an attribute of wisdom. With probable beginnings early in the civilizing process, the concept developed during the Middle Ages when there was a rise of "civilizing" factors (such as the advent of certain practices of manners in Western Europe) and achieved its most pronounced state in the Renaissance. The wisdom of the fool occupies a place in opposition to that of learned knowledge.

Characteristics

The implications built-in the "wise fool" figure comes out of the societal biases, inclinations, and tendencies held about real fools. Various characteristics attributed to the fool, include:
  • lacking seriousness and given to frivolity (inanis, fool),
  • dull-witted or not very bright (stultus, dolt, clown),
  • retarded in intellectual development or mentally deficient (imbécile, dotard),
  • lacks understanding (insipiens),
  • different from normal men (idiot),
  • deprived of the use of speech or words (Tor),
  • babbles incoherently (fatuus),
  • noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline when merrymaking (buffone),
  • nonrecognition of correct or appropriate behavior codes (ineptus),
  • mock the "others" (Narr);
  • acts like a child,
  • simplicity of the heart (natural), and
  • innocence of the heart (simpleton).
Innocuous fools have often enjoyed special privileges in cultural and economic groups, whereas aggressive madmen had to been restrained or incarcerated. A fool's powerlessness and helplessness may gain them protection of more fortunate people. Since the fool is only guided by their natural instincts, because they do not understand social conventions, they are not culpable for breaches of those rules. The fool is not expected to "know better" or "know" anything.

Because of this, the fool has often been given great relative freedom, particularly in speech. The advantage of speaking with exemption from punishment has made the fool attractive in the literary imagination, for example, the fool in Shakespeare's King Lear. Lear's fool is one of only three people in the play who consistently speak to him wisely, and the other two, Cordelia and the Earl of Gloucester, are punished severely.

Though the fool is in a position separated from normal society which can cause them to be subjected to deriding acts and contemptous treatment, it has also at times caused them to be regarded with respect and reverence — the holy fool. In the Middle Ages, and in some primitive societies, the fool was thought to be under the protection of God and possessing "Godly imparted tongues".

See also

External articles and references

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Stupidity is the quality or condition of lacking intelligence, as opposed to being merely ignorant or uneducated. This quality can be attributed to both an individual or a person's actions, words or beliefs, or those of a group.
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Wisdom, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as the "1 a: Accumulated philosophic or scientific learning-knowledge; b: Ability to discern inner qualities and relationships-insight; c: Good sense-judgment d: Generally accepted belief <challenges what has become
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Middle Ages form the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern Times.
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Western Europe is mainly a socio-political concept forged during the Cold War, which largely defined its borders. Its boundaries were effectively forged during the final stages of World War II and came to encompass all European countries which did not come under Soviet control and
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Renaissance (French for "rebirth"; Italian: Rinascimento; Spanish: Renacimiento), was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe.
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Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, positive judgment and well-developed wisdom.
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The Theory of Cognitive Development, one of the most historically influential theories was developed by Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist (1896–1980). His theory provided many central concepts in the field of developmental psychology and concerned the growth of intelligence,
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Understanding is a psychological process related to an abstract or physical object, such as, person, situation, or message whereby one is able to think about it and use concepts to deal adequately with that object.

An understanding is the limit of a conceptualization.
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privilege—etymologically "private law" or law relating to a specific individual—is a special entitlement or immunity granted by a government or other authority to a restricted group, either by birth or on a conditional basis. A privilege can be revoked in some cases.
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William Shakespeare

The Chandos portrait, artist and authenticity unconfirmed. National Portrait Gallery, London.
Born: April 1564 (exact date unknown)
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
Died: 23 March 1616
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
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King Lear is a play by William Shakespeare, considered one of his greatest tragedies, based on the legend of King Lear of Britain. The part of Lear has been played by many great actors, but although Lear is an old man, the part is rarely taken on by older actors in stage
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The yurodivy (Russian: юродивый, jurodivyj) is the Russian version of Foolishness in Christ (Russian: юродство, yurodstvo
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Glossolalia (from Greek glossa γλώσσα "tongue, language" and lalô λαλώ "speak, speaking") is the vocalizing of fluent speech-like but unintelligible utterances, often as part of religious practice.
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A comedian, or comic, is a performer who entertains an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting the fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy.
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jester, joker, fool or buffoon is a specific type of entertainer mostly (but not always) associated with the Middle Ages. Jesters typically wore brightly colored clothing in a motley pattern.
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Hero (Greek ἥρως), in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demi-god, the offspring of a mortal and a deity.
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Irony is a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is a gap or incongruity between what a speaker or a writer says and what is generally understood (either at the time, or in the later context of history).
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Rationality as a term is related to the idea of reason, a word which following Webster's may be derived as much from older terms referring to thinking itself as from giving an account or an explanation. This lends the term a dual aspect.
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Feast of Fools, known also as the festum fatuorum, festum stultorum, festum hypodiaconorum, or fête des fous, are the varying names given to popular medieval festivals regularly celebrated by the clergy and laity from the fifth century until the
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