Beyond reflection: practical wisdom and the practical syllogism

Abstract

The relationship between the way nurses think and the actions they perform is one of the key debates within the nursing profession. It has been assumed that the thinking that precedes and follows nursing actions has been described within the reflective practitioner doctrine. It is suggested that this is not so, as the reflective doctrine has not only failed to explicate the link between theory and practice but some reflective theorists have perpetuated the theory-practice gap by separating thought and action. Instead it is argued that Aristotle's conceptions of Practical Wisdom and the Practical Syllogism provide a framework in which the link between thinking and doing are described. Practical wisdom is a form of knowledge that can be claimed by those who purport to deal with human good. Unlike theoretical knowledge, practical wisdom ends not in an intellectual conclusion but in the actual performing of some action designed to produce good for fellow humans. These actions are taken only after the practically wise person decides, consciously or unconsciously, the most effective and morally right option. The practical syllogism is that particular feature of critical thinking that links theory and practice in practice professions. The practical syllogism describes the means-end considerations that underpin all actions undertaken by nurses. It is not suggested that all the deliberations of those with practical wisdom is syllogistic in nature but that this is a central feature of the way in which nurses approach the care they deliver.