§03§ §12§ §16§Aristotle has been continuously at the frontier of philosophical reflection for almost 2400 years. Throughout the 20th century the influence of his practical philosophy has been growing. His «non-modernist» concept of phrónêsis or practical wisdom is attracting increasing interest as an alternative to both «modernism» and «post-modernism». This book is a meticulous study of Aristotle's phrónêsis and its applications to the fields of personal development or character formation and of ethical virtues. It also relates phrónêsis to the wider context of Aristotle's theoretical philosophy and of his different ways of knowing, and to both theoretical and practical concerns within modern social and action research. The whole of Aristotle's thinking is radically practice-based and directed. However, it never loses its theoretical focus. His theoretical philosophy is fundamentally dialogical. Hence, the relevance of Aristotelian thinking is striking for the current reconfigurations in the s §16§ocial organisation of learning and knowledge production. §02§The Author: Olav Eikeland is a philosopher who has been working in Norway as an action researcher and organisational researcher at the Work Research Institute (WRI) since the mid-1980s. He holds a Ph.D. in ancient philosophy. His special interests are the connections between ancient dialogical philosophy, current action research, and organisational learning.
