Skill

Knowledge, virtue, and intelligent action have long been central themes of philo sophical inquiry, and are the subject of deep and extensive debates in contemporary philosophy. At least in the analytic tradition, skill is not. Nevertheless, skill is inti mately connected to those central topics of philosophical concern. Knowledge depends on skill. A scientist knows that one theory is better than another, through her skill at assessing such theories. A wine-taster knows that the wine in front of him is a Bordeaux, through his skill at wine-tasting. An outfielder knows where the fly-ball will land, through his skill at fielding. That virtues are like skills is a point familiar from Aristotle. Both improve with training. Moreover, virtues require skills. Tact involves skill in human relations, and justice skill in assessing competing claims. More generally, since self-control requires skill, all virtues that require self-control require skill.