Pierre Charron's (1541-1603) concept of wisdom: An analysis through Kınalızâde Ali Çelebi (1510-1572)

This research explores Pierre Charron's (d. 1603) concept of wisdom in his book, de la Sagesse (on Wisdom), acknowledged as the "the first secular ethics book" and published in 1601. In this book, Charron redefined the concept of wisdom, leading to a significant change in the Western intellectual tradition. To better illuminate this shift, the examination of Charron's wisdom is grounded on the conceptual framework outlined by Kınalızāde Ali Çelebi (d. 1572) in Ahlāk-ı Alāī published in 1564. Before the sixteenth century, in Western civilization, the Catholic Church held the authority to define the theoretical and practical relations between human beings and existence. Intending to substitute the doctrines of the Catholic Church, Charron developed an idea of practical wisdom based on ma'rifetullāh (God's knowledge) and ma'rifat an-nafs (self-knowledge). In this study, the initial step towards unravelling Charron's conceptual shift involves an examination of the theological connotations of wisdom. This constitutes the diachronic exploration of Charron's wisdom concept. Secondly the French philosopher's idea of wisdom is subjected to a conceptual analysis held through an inter-civilizational perspective. This constitutes the synchronic exploration. Past studies have connected Charron's thoughts with philosophical schools such as Stoicism, Scepticism, and Aristotelianism. However, these attempts were only partial in elucidating Charron's concept of wisdom. On the other hand, Charron's contemporary Kınalızâde almost simultaneously wrote his masterpiece, Ahlāk-ı Alāī. In a manner akin to Charron, Kınalızâde incorporates the principle "Know yourself, know your Lord" into his concept of wisdom. Hence within the scope of this study Kınalızâde's framework is employed to enhance the comprehension of Charron's conceptual shift. By this way a systematic and comprehensive approach is applied to Charron's concept. This holistic approach reveals that, through his wisdom, Charron effectively overcame the sceptical crisis of his time, marked by religious wars. Additionally, it is inferred that the French philosopher succeeded in establishing a system that enables individuals to attain the knowledge of God, cope with nature, and manage their lives.