Bits Of Practical Wisdom
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Virtue Ethics for the Real World
In Virtue Ethics for the Real World: Improving Character without Idealization, Howard J. Curzer argues that character ideals seduce virtue ethicists into counterintuitive claims, mislead and psychologically harm people seeking to improve their characters, and sometimes become tools for exploitation. Curzer offers a theory of Aristotelian virtue ethics that eschews idealization and that harmonizes with common sense. To explain the many dilemmas of ordinary life, he allows that different virtues sometimes enjoin incompatible actions and even enjoin actions that conflict with duty. Curzer defends the doctrine of the mean, arguing that idealized traits such as unilateral forgiveness, universal civility, unconditional commitments, and unlimited generosity are not virtues. He shows that the reciprocity of virtues doctrine depends upon idealization and rejects it. When undergirding his theory, Curzer wears several hats. He is a eudaimonist when grounding virtue, a constructivist when grounding value, and a perspectivist (a la Nietzsche) when grounding virtuous action. How can people improve without aiming at an ideal? Curzer offers an individualized approach to character improvement modeled on contemporary medicine. First, diagnose each person’s character flaws. Then tailor treatment plans to each flaw. An important tool is a fine-grained table of the components of character, their failure modes, and corresponding therapies. Curzer provides the beginnings of such a table.
Difficult Virtues
In this book, Howard J. Curzer describes eight virtues that have proven problematic to virtue ethicists. Integrity has been the subject of wildly different accounts. Open-mindedness and forgiveness are described in ways that many endorse, but few seek to practice. Accounts of tolerance and civility generally fit only the privileged. Finally, good timing, ambition, and creativity have attracted almost no attention at all. Curzer offers novel, plausible accounts of all of these eight difficult virtues, and demonstrates that they possess the standard features of Aristotelian virtues (for example, conformity to the Doctrine of the Mean). This enlarges the scope of Aristotelian virtue ethics by enabling it to cover eight additional spheres of human life. Using these difficult virtues as springboards and extrapolating from some of Aristotle’s remarks, Curzer codifies some standard features of Aristotelian virtues, and speculatively suggests additional features to enhance the descriptive and prescriptive power of Aristotelian virtue ethics. Thus, Curzer adds to the standard list of Aristotelian virtues and to the standard list of features that make virtues Aristotelian. Each difficult virtue is different, but certain themes thread through all of them: self-construction, social critique, and significant creation. Curzer’s accounts of these virtues illuminate the ways people forge their own identities, struggle to acquire virtue despite disadvantage, and produce and appreciate novelty.
The Reluctant Journey
Author: Richard Leslie Parrott
language: en
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: 2014-10-21
Imagine the God of the universe whispering in your ear, “What shall we create out of your life that will serve My purpose?” The path of authenticity is not a solo endeavor but a calling to a partnership with God that requires utter honesty, trust, commitment, and wisdom. God guides your path with a two-fold promise, “You know I love you as you are, but together, we can make of your life what I created you to be.” Following the petitions of our Lord’s Prayer, Dr. Richard Parrott examines a family of authentic partners, the family of Abraham and Sarah, their son Isaac, grandson Jacob, and great-grandson Joseph. This fresh telling of the story reveals practical answers to the question, “How can my partnership with God be genuine, mature, and significant?” The Reluctant Journey is an honest and practical guide for relating to God. As authentic Christians, we can live true in Christ and our love for him each day, choosing His best for us so that together, we advance His kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.” Features include: Truths from the Lord’s Prayer Stories of the founders of our faith Thought-provoking questions for spiritual conversation or reflection