Wednesday Wisdom

WHO?

Solomon was the son of King David and Queen Bathsheba and was born in Jerusalem in the Kingdom of Judea. His birth is described in the Bible in the book of 2 Samuel. Solomon was the second son of David, his older brother died as an infant leaving him as the successor to his father as the king. Solomon's reign dates back to the 10th century BC where he ruled the southern Kingdom of Judea and the northern Kingdom of Israel. According to the biblical narrative, Solomon's reign lasted for 40 years (approximately 970 to 930 BC) and he is credited with consolidating and expanding the Israeli Kingdom.

What he produced

Solomon is also credited with the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, and this begins historically what is known as First Temple period in the history of the Jewish nation. The temple, also known as Solomon's Temple, became the central place of worship for the Israelites and housed the Ark of the Covenant (yes, the same one from the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark). The detailed description of the temple's construction and furnishings is provided in the Old Testament in books of Kings and Chronicles. Under Solomon's rule from 970 BC to 930 BC, the Kingdom of Israel experienced a period of great wealth and prosperity. The biblical narrative highlights Solomon's alliances with other nations, trade agreements, and the accumulation of vast wealth. The temple was pillaged during the reign of by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II in 598 BC sending the Jews to be exiled in Babylon which is modern day Iraq. The Persians conquered the region and Herod the Great of Judea restored the temple in what is known as the Second Temple period. Today what remains of the temple is known as “The Wailing Wall” in Jerusalem.

Solomon is traditionally attributed as the author of several biblical books in the Old Testament, including Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon (Song of Songs). These books are considered the wisdom literature teachings of the Bible.

Solomon had great power as a king, yet he showed immense wisdom and a commitment to justice with his people through his judicial decrees. His advice and consul were sought after by powerful people as well as kings from around the world. Where did Solomon receive all this wisdom? According to the Old Testament, Soloman made a deal with God and was granted wisdom. In 1 Kings 3:11-14 we find Solomon has a dream where he talks to God; “So God said to him”, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.  And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 

One of the most prominent and well-known stories was when Solomon sat in judgment on a dispute over a custody of a child. Solomon proposed solution was to divide the baby in half. The child’s real mother immediately offered to give up her claim to save the child's life, revealing herself as the true mother.

While Solomon was revered as a king and judge for his wisdom, his personal life told another story as he seemed to lack the same wisdom in his everyday life. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, including many foreign wives, which were in direct opposition to Mosiac Law and the ten commandments. He had poor relationships with his children and eventually poor physical health. The biblical accounts suggest that he allowed foreign influences and idolatry to enter the kingdom, leading to its eventual downfall of Israel after his death.

2024 why do we care?

King Solomon as a king and judge showed immense wisdom and prudence in those roles. However, King Solomon showed none of these virtues in his own life which is known as “King Soloman’s Paradox”. How can one be so wise in judging others’ problems wisely and judiciously yet ignore one’s own life. Why is it easier solving other people problems rather than our own?

“King Soloman’s paradox” is an interesting study in logic and how its applied in cognitive thinking. Why is it we can solve others’ problems but struggle with our own? why is that we have greater cognitive insight and wisdom in other people’s problems than in our own?

Research indicates that individuals often excel at providing advice to others but struggle to follow their own counsel. Decision making from a distance tends to be more rational and made without emotion often providing a better perspective. In light of this, consider the following suggestion for dealing with challenges: when faced with a problem, take a moment to contemplate how a more mature and wiser version of yourself would act. Imaging how a decision today affects your future is a cognitive technique used by logicians for centuries and is still an effective decision-making tool.

If only someone had given King Solomon this advice, but then we wouldn’t have this wonderful paradox to contemplate.

And now you know...

Thanks, Dad, for the gift of curiosity!

Philosophy is the art of thinking, the building block of progress that shapes critical thinking across economics, ethics, religion, and science.

METAPHYSICS: Literally, the term metaphysics means ‘beyond the physical.’ Typically, this is the branch that most people think of when they picture philosophy. In metaphysics, the goal is to answer the what and how questions in life. Who are we, and what are time and space?

LOGIC: The study of reasoning. Much like metaphysics, understanding logic helps to understand and appreciate how we perceive the rest of our world. More than that, it provides a foundation for which to build and interpret arguments and analyses.

ETHICS: The study of morality, right and wrong, good and evil. Ethics tackles difficult conversations by adding weight to actions and decisions. Politics takes ethics to a larger scale, applying it to a group (or groups) of people. Political philosophers study political governments, laws, justice, authority, rights, liberty, ethics, and much more.

AESTHETICS: What is beautiful? Philosophers try to understand, qualify, and quantify what makes art what it is. Aesthetics also takes a deeper look at the artwork itself, trying to understand the meaning behind it, both art as a whole and art on an individual level. A question an aesthetics philosopher would seek to address is whether or not beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

EPISTEMOLOGY: This is the study and understanding of knowledge. The main question is how do we know? We can question the limitations of logic, how comprehension works, and the ability (or perception) to be certain.