Kristján Kristjánsson
Special guest
Kristján Kristjánsson’s research orientation can best be summed up as that of Aristotle-inspired philosophical scrutiny of theories in educational psychology and values education, with special emphasis on the notions of character and virtuous emotions. He has written extensively on themes in general education, moral education, educational psychology, moral philosophy and political philosophy, and sees himself essentially as a bridge-builder between philosophy and social science.
Kristjánsson is the author of Social Freedom: The Responsibility View (C.U.P., 2006), Justifying Emotions: Pride and Jealousy (Routledge, 2002), Justice and Desert-Based Emotions (Ashgate, 2006), Aristotle, Emotions and Education (Ashgate, 2007), The Self and Its Emotions (C.U.P., 2010), Virtues and Vices in Positive Psychology (C.U.P., 2013) and Aristotelian Character Education (Routledge, 2015), the last of which was voted the best research monograph in Education in 2015 by the British Society of Education Studies. Kristjánsson has published over 100 articles in international journals and has recently taken over as editor of Journal of Moral Education.
He has been a Visiting Fellow at Cornell University, University of Konstanz, St. Edmund’s College (Cambridge University) and Institute of Education (University of London). In 1997, he was elected the Young Humanities Scholar of the Year by the Icelandic Council of Science, and in 2011 he was presented with the Ása Guðmundsdóttir Wright Award, the most prestigious scholarly award given annually to an Icelandic academic across the Sciences and Humanities.
Kristján Kristjánsson has been a guest on 1 episode.
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72: Special Series Episode 4: Interventions and Training
October 19th, 2026 | 50 mins 20 secs
barry schwartz, cristine legare, dan mcadams, dilip jeste, emotions, eranda jayawickreme, exemplars, gord pennycook, happiness, interventions, judgment, judith glück, justin brienza, kristján kristjánsson, laurie paul, meaning, measuring wisdom, metacognition, monika ardelt, narratives, philosophy, psychology, purpose, reasoning, social science, steve fleming, thomas costello, training ethan kross, well being, wisdom
Welcome to a five-episode special series built around the first Annual Review of Psychology chapter on wisdom since 2011.
Episode 4: Interventions and Training (with Judith Glück, Ethan Kross, and Kristján Kristjánsson)
Can we actually learn to be wiser? Judith Glück, Ethan Kross, and Kristján Kristjánsson join Igor and Charles to explore what it takes to develop better judgment, and why getting older or going through difficult experiences doesn't necessarily make us wiser. Judith explains why even people with the right knowledge and reasoning skills can struggle to use them when emotions take over, Ethan reveals how stepping back from our own problems can help us see them in a new light, and Kristján explores the ancient idea of practical wisdom, why it matters for moral development, and how it might be cultivated. Igor and Charles reflect on why experience alone isn't enough, and what it takes to turn difficult situations into opportunities for wiser judgment. But can we take what we know about individual wisdom and use it to build wiser organizations and societies?