Applying Coherence, Morality, and Utility Toward Developing Practical Wisdom
Community Contribution by Dr. Michael Surkes
Philosophers have argued for ages about whether we can truly know the world as it really is. But this question isn’t just academic – it affects how we all communicate, how we relate, and how we live. It’s at the heart of human understanding, even if most of us don’t recognize its impact on our daily lives.
In the late eighteenth century, Immanuel Kant demonstrated that we can never be absolutely certain about any thing-in-itself – only about what we experience through our senses. He shifted the focus from chasing unknowable, metaphysicaltruth to grounding knowledge in experience, cognition, and language. He showed that the only facts we can have are records of observations or what scientists call data or evidence… and all interpretations of those facts are linguistic and indirect.
Science doesn’t produce timeless truths; it can only offer observed evidence and potential linguistic interpretations (understandings and perspectives) of those facts. At its core, science is a language game – complex, evolving, and human. And like any human system, it’s open to distortion, misuse, and bias. So, when we say “science works,” we have to ask: Works for whom? Under what assumptions? and At what cost?
If we can’t know the world directly, does that mean everything is just subjective?
No. Language sounds and symbols are observable and interpretable by more than one person. We can assess the value of different discourses based on coherence (how well-justified they are), morality (how they affect others , see Noddings, 1984), and utility (usefulness; how effective they are, see Rorty, 1998; Rorty, 1989).
In other words, there are better and worse ways to live and relate. The better ways involve paying close attention to coherence, morality, and usefulness – not as rigid rules, but as living standards and ideal values for dialogue, decision-making, and mutual care.
The satisfaction we get from thriving with others doesn’t come from knowing The Truth. It comes from beliefs and perspectives that enable us to act wisely – to support well-being, collaboration, and growth.
For example, we may apply the values of inquiry and moral discernment intentionally in our daily lives. Instead of pretending that truth is a perfect mirror of reality, we can ask more grounded questions: Does this idea make sense? Does it help us solve problems? Does it make life better – or worse – for the people it affects?
Too often, we confuse truth with authority (Feynman, 1985), or knowledge with control (Foucault, 1980; Hayek, 1985), but fulfillment isn’t about locking down final answers. It’s accomplished through learning and applying the most coherent, useful, and moral language that we can develop in each context. Practical wisdom may be enacted – either spontaneously or with careful aforethought – as we go through life.
Our obsession with metaphysical certainty has distracted us from what actually matters. We can’t access the world as it is in itself, but that doesn’t make our knowledge meaningless. It just demands better habits of making sense – habits grounded in authenticity, reflection, and care.
Practical wisdom represents the possibility of applying coherence and morality in action. It’s not a scientific law or divine command – it’s a skill. It’s a way of living, choosing, and relating that helps us flourish together. Practical wisdom isn’t what we know – it’s about how we apply our understandings in each circumstance to produce the best results that we can.
Mutual understanding doesn’t necessarily come from shared absolutes. It may come instead from shared commitments – to listening, to self-reflection, and to justice. So instead of asking, “Is it true?” we might ask: Is it clearly justifiable? Is it fair? Does it help? That’s the kind of understanding that improves lives – not just wins arguments.
The options are to chase after theoretical truths or to speak and act as if our words and deeds must constantly earn their place. Fulfillment isn’t about what we’ve been believing, it’s about how well we manage, moment to moment and day by day, to develop effective methods and flourishing relationships. It’s about learning a little more every day about how to live more coherently, more effectively, and more justly…and maybe a little more wisely.
References
Feynman, R. P. (1985). "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a curious character (p. 343). W. W. Norton & Company.
Foucault, M. (1980). Power/knowledge: Selected interviews and other writings, 1972-1977 (C. Gordon, Ed.; C. Gordon, L. Marshall, J. Mepham, & K. Soper, Trans., pp. 109-133). Pantheon Books. (Original work published 1977)
Hayek, F. A. (1945). The use of knowledge in society. The American Economic Review, 35(4), 519-530. Kant, I. (1998). Critique of pure reason (P. Guyer & A. Wood, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1781)
Noddings, N. (1984). Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education.
Peirce, C. S. (1878). How to make our ideas clear. Popular Science Monthly, 12, 286–302.
Rorty, R. (1989). Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity. Cambridge University Press.
Rorty, R. (1998). Truth and progress: Philosophical papers (Vol. 3). Cambridge University Press.
About the author:
Dr. Michael A. (Mike) Surkes is a Canadian scholar with degrees, honors and awards in neuropsychology, philosophy, and education. His research describes how people develop highly coherent sets of ideas about deeply complex subjects. His first book, Developing Practical Wisdom, translates academic research on deep thinking and deep learning (including coherency, morality and utility) into language that’s easily accessible to most readers. You can find Dr. Surkes’ book through Austin Macauley Publishers.
