First Person Wisdom Ascriptions

This paper examines the oddity of first-person wisdom ascriptions, such as ‘I am wise.’ While individuals may possess wisdom, self-ascriptions of wisdom appear infelicitous in ordinary discourse. I argue that the explanation of this phenomenon lies in the epistemic structure of wisdom itself. I defend the claim that wisdom is non-luminous: a wise agent lacks higher-order knowledge that she possesses the knowledge required for wisdom, largely because wisdom involves humility, open-mindedness, and sensitivity to one’s cognitive limitations. These traits generate a form of higher-order ignorance about one’s own wisdom-related knowledge. Drawing on the norms of assertion, particularly a rational norm requiring justified belief for rationally permissible assertion, I argue that a wise agent lacks the justification needed to assert that she is wise, thus explaining why first-person wisdom ascriptions sound deviant.