Living wisely, according to Robert Nozick, is a human’s way “of being connected with reality”. By analogy, I suggest, a society is wise to the extent that it promotes wisdom, and the very existence of a community (a nation, a society) depends upon the extent to which it “lives wisely”. Society does not “live wisely” through the institution of a contemporary university in its fragmentation of knowledge, its emphasis on career development, its preoccupation with credentials, and its inherent stratification. For society’s promotion of wisdom, I propose a return to the unfulfilled Jeffersonian ideal of a community of learning, devoid of credentials and degrees, engendering a life of inquiry.
