Specific Virtues Research Articles

Sustainability of Digital Friendship: Insights from Early Buddhist Mettā

One of the significant effects of technology on human relations is visible in friendship. Positively technology through its digital spaces is facilitating friendship that is instant and beyond the limitations of time and space. However, such digital friendships that operate through social media often suffer from issues of trust and sustainability. To resolve this predicament, we need to pause and reflect on how digital friendship can be reframed to improve its sustainability in a practical manner. The primary purpose of this article is to examine how helpful the early Buddhist concept of mittatā (friendship) is in sustaining friendship in the digital age. The article begins by eliciting the moral challenges people encounter in online friendships. The objective is to highlight the need for a more vital concept of friendship, such as the early Buddhist concept of mittatā, that can mitigate the moral concerns in digitized friendship, making it genuine and sustainable. The subsequent part of the article offers an overview of some of the significant theories of friendship upheld in the West and examines whether they can support the sustainability of a digitized friendship. The objective is to reflect upon the lacuna in the practice of such ideas of friendship in the contemporary digital age. To replenish the lacuna, the following section articulates the early Buddhist concept of mittatā as a noble concept of friendship that can be morally relevant and sustainable in this digital world. Based on the philosophical study of the early Buddhist literature, the present article investigates how helpful mettā (loving kindness) in this society to sustain a trustworthy friendship. It proposes an ethical and noble way to nurture and savour an honourable friendship relevant to the digital era by inculcating specific virtues advocated by the Buddha.

Virtuous leadership: Ambiguities, challenges, and precedents

AbstractVirtuous leadership is the focus of a growing body of academic literature but is little discussed by contemporary philosophers. Current treatments tend to over‐generalisation: assimilating diverse features to a few broad categories and applying simplified ethical theories. This essay argues that virtue and character education need to be keyed to specific activities, that “virtuous leadership” is in danger of being confused with extrinsic activism, and that the history of ethics in health care provides an instructive example of thinking ethically about practice. Questions commonly posed in the literature—What specific virtues are required for leadership? How may these be formed?—are unduly simple and often rest on faulty assumptions about the nature of leadership and of the structure of virtuous action. Philosophers engaged in advising professionals about the virtues of leadership would do well to consider how the relevant points apply to their own practice.

Ethical Accompaniment and End-of-Life Care

Abstract A theology of accompaniment offers insights on how to journey with and be present to those who suffer from terminal illness. In order to sustain acts of accompaniment, the companion must cultivate specific virtues through prayer and the practices of the Christian community. This ethic of accompaniment is based on a Thomistic conceptualization of the virtues of charity and fortitude. These virtues enable the companion to engage in four types of practices with and on behalf of the dying patient. Ethical accompaniment offers the following contributions to end-of-life care, the companion can function as a healthcare proxy, offers a viable alternative to physician-assisted suicide, and overcomes the loss of meaning associated with death through the Christian narrative.

Vidění znaku a účinnost slova. Turnaj ve staročeské povídce o Štilfridovi

The bulk of the Old Czech prose tale of Štilfrid (preserved in three manuscripts from the post-Hussite period and in early modern chapbooks) consists of a tournament in which the protagonist triumphs over twelve representatives of an enemy king, killing most of them. The present study builds in particular on the work of Jaroslav Kolár and Michel Stanesco and examines this tournament as a semantic spectacle. In doing so, it focuses primarily on the connections between the names and coats of arms present in the story and other medieval narratives, and shows how Štilfrid’s verbal and physical prowess and specific virtue (dangerously bordering on sinful pride) are construed through them.

Measuring qualities needed for interdisciplinary work: The Intellectual Virtues for Interdisciplinary Research Scale (IVIRS).

Previous work has suggested that the problems hindering the success of interdisciplinarity could be overcome by fostering certain intellectual character strengths in scholars. However, how to assess and cultivate the specific virtues required for interdisciplinarity among researchers is still a matter of inquiry. The general objective of this paper was to develop a psychometric instrument to assess intellectual virtues that are essential for interdisciplinary inquiry among researchers. To achieve this goal, two studies were conducted. Study 1 developed a new scale and studied its correlation with other validated measures. Study 2 focused on conducting a confirmatory analysis of the structure obtained in Study 1 and investigated the relationships between the new scale and the researchers' levels of (i) experience and productivity in interdisciplinary collaboration and (ii) satisfaction regarding the results of their interdisciplinary inquiry. The EFA conducted for Study 1 identified four dimensions: (1) intellectual empathy, (2) open-mindedness and intellectual humility, (3) intellectual perseverance, and (4) curiosity. Indeed, the pools of items that were initially developed to measure intellectual humility and open-mindedness in a separate way converged into a unique factor or dimension. The confirmatory factor analysis conducted for Study 2 corroborated the four-dimensional structure observed in Study 1 via a new different sample. In addition, Studies 1 and 2 also analyzed convergent validity through the AVE and correlated the IVIRS with other scales that measure intellectual virtues (open-mindedness, curiosity, intellectual humility, and perseverance) in a general epistemic context. The second study demonstrated that researchers with significant experience, productivity, and satisfaction in the context of interdisciplinary investigation also presented elevated levels of the intellectual virtues that we identified as essential for such research. Our analysis demonstrates that the IVIRS is a valid measure of the intellectual virtues needed for interdisciplinarity and paves the way for the future design of interventions to cultivate these character traits in scholars.

Gamboa's World: Justice, Silver Mining, and Imperial Reform in New Spain

Gamboa's World: Justice, Silver Mining, and Imperial Reform in New Spain

Conditions for the sustainability of democracy according to Aristotle

Purpose: to present the national security environment from the perspective of the main assumptions formulated by Aristotle. This was he, who examined 158 constitutions of states, and he also undertook the work of describing the known regimes in detail. He can be considered the first thinker to approach the entire spectrum of political and social issues in a scientific manner.
 Method: the research was conducted using the following general scientific and special methods: the historical method during the study of the examination of constitutions by Aristotle; the method of analysis and synthesis related to the functioning of the state by Aristotle, abstract-logical method – for formulating theoretical generalizations and research conclusions.
 The results of the study: are related to Aristotleʼs indications, that a democratic system can be a matrix for other forms of government and of utmost importance is to preserve sustainability. The intention was not to develop or to reject the existing theories, but it was possible to formulate the assumption, that democracy, as we know it, has been a specific system whose durability depends on specific virtues and goods, most often called liberal.
 Theoretical implications: the practitioners can learn from the paper, that following Aristotle, the virtue of moderation should be incorporated into the cross-section of liberal political values for the benefit of the sustainability of democracy and the citizens who participate in its achievements. In this respect, the relationship between politics and ethics was revealed, which is characteristic of the classically understood philosophy of politics.
 Practical implications: the findings could serve as the research streams related to deeper analysis of the democratic systems, and the relations with the essence of the democracy of ancient Athens and looking for inspiration and parallel solutions for the political culture of current liberal democratic societies.
 Papertype: theoretical.

『논어(論語)』의 덕(德)과 도(道)⋅인(仁)⋅예(藝)

In this study, the core of Confucianism was assumed to be virtue, and the meaning of virtue education was studied based on the analysis of examples of Tao(道), Ren(仁), Yi(藝) related to the virtue of the Analects. As an extension of supporting the perspective of modern virtue ethics, which maintains the pluralism of moral practice, ethical values, and the historical and cultural background of the social community, this is to emphasize the meaning of virtue education advocated by traditional education and reflect on current education. In general, Tao(道) advocates the logic of nature, while virtue is mainly discussed with humans as the subject. However, just as it is a virtue to understand and implement the Tao and actually gain it in my mind by studying, if I learn the values and directions of the public, I will be a virtuous person to enlighten the Tao. Therefore, Tao is more embodied by virtue. Ren(仁) is one of the virtues, so it falls under the subcategory of virtue in the hierarchical structure, and is discussed as the attributes and characteristics of virtue. However, if the core of the Analect is assumed as Ren, and in order to understand Ren based on specific human beings and humanity, Ren is the basis and essential element of all virtues. Yi(藝) can be understood in the sense of art or literature, but if the subject is a virtuous person who cultivates virtue by implementing and realizing specific practical virtues centered on Ren(仁), Yi(藝) is the study of Confucianism that he explores, and is the subject of moral education or subject matter centered on moral practice. The virtues of the Analects are not clearly differentiated from the specific virtues of practice, and the hierarchical structure between virtues and virtues is also not clear. Therefore, the virtue of the Analects has a multi-layered structure in terms of the relationship between the subject of practice and the object or virtue, centering on Ren(仁) and by understanding and enlightening the Tao(道), it urges continuous implementation and cultivation in daily life, such as aiming for public values and good.

The Catalogue of Virtues in the "Ecclesiastical History" of Sozomen of Bethelia

On the one hand, in his Ecclesiastical History, Sozomen presented the qualities of the ruler he held in high esteem – Theodosius II; on the other, he listed characteristics of the ascetics he admired, the new sages, living – in his view – according to the principles of the best philosophy. Interestingly, in this presentation, he applied an almost identical set of virtues that he attributed to both rulers and monks. In both cases he equated piety with wisdom and made them the most important, leading virtues. They were the ones that conditioned the subsequent qualities. Thus, in Sozomen’s account, one can trace the theory of the unity of virtues characteristic of Socrates of Athens. It claimed that one cannot possess a particle of virtue without possessing the whole, nor can one possess one specific virtue without possessing all of them. It seems that the order of virtues used by Sozomen in the catalogue of virtues ascribed to Theodosius II is not accidental, and reflects their hierarchy: εὐσέβεια-σοφία φιλανθρωπία, ἀνδρεία, σωφροσύνη, δικαιοσύνη, φιλοτιμία, and μεγαλοψυχία. This hierarchy stems from the Christian values adopted by Sozomen.

Portrayals of threatened needs and human virtue: a review of the content of eudaimonic entertainment

ABSTRACT The present review examines whether commonalities and differences can be detected in the content of eudaimonic entertainment. We focused on two features: the fundamental human needs that were threatened, and the specific virtues that were portrayed. The results showed that the examined materials often included a combination of portrayals of threats to the fundamental human needs for safety, health and relatedness, and portrayals of the virtue of humanity, like love and kindness. Two subcategories could be distinguished in the materials, one in which the focus is on the portrayal of virtue as an answer to threatened needs, and one in which the focus is on the portrayal of threatened needs in which characters struggle even though they also have virtue.

Verba et Facta Ludicra Et Jocosa: Thomas Aquinas on the Moral Limits of Playful Enjoyment

Verba et Facta Ludicra Et Jocosa: Thomas Aquinas on the Moral Limits of Playful Enjoyment Elisabeth Uffenheimer PLAY HAS BEEN STUDIED over the past decades by scholars from various disciplines. Psychologists have stressed its role in child development, animal play has puzzled ethologists, and historians have understood play to be the central element for understanding culture. Philosophers have asked questions about its definition, its goal, its rationality. As a source of relaxation, it has been opposed to work, to seriousness, and to daily life.1 Thomas Aquinas wrote one explicit text on play—question 168 of the Secunda secundae2—in which he embeds his insights about the human being as a homo ludens in a rich philosophical [End Page 245] anthropology: we enjoy playing as rational, sensitive-emotional, embodied, and social beings. A subcategory of play is humorous words and deeds. In contrast to present-day studies on humor, Thomas is interested in the morality of humor rather than in its essence, thereby taking a fundamentally positive stance towards humorous play. For him the human person is homo ridens, the only creature that has the capacity to laugh and to make laugh.3 Throughout my analysis of Thomas’s texts, I shall argue for the following claims. First, Thomas’s texts on play and humorous play show that he considers the human being to be a homo ludens, homo delectans, and homo ridens. The capacity to play and to enjoy, and the possession of a sense of humor are undeniable and positive aspects of the make-up of the human being. Second, play can best be understood against the background of two passions of the soul, tristitia and delectatio. This point has not been stressed enough in the secondary literature on this topic. Third, eutrapelia, the specific virtue of play, concerns not only the mean between excess and lack of enjoyment, but is essentially a social virtue. Play contributes to our well-being as individuals in so far as it includes respect for our fellow human beings. As such it can help to express, sustain, and maintain our ethical relationships with our social surroundings.4 In the light of the above, this article is divided into three parts. Parts I and II will map out the philosophical anthropology [End Page 246] behind the idea of homo ludens. Part II discusses the pivotal role of the emotions in play. Part III will show that eutrapelia is essentially also a social virtue by focusing on two specific kinds of humorous play: derision and blasphemy. In the conclusion, I will point briefly to the relevance of Thomas for the contemporary discussion about the moral limits of play in general and of humorous play in particular. I. Homo Ludens: Play and Rest The Latin word for play (ludus) has different meanings: it can be a game of some kind, public games, sport; it can be spectacle, show, stage play, or social entertainment; it can be pastime, diversion, having fun, amusing oneself with others; and finally it can also be jest, joke, mockery, mimicry, banter, or ridicule. In this last case play includes humor and can be verbal or nonverbal. The different meanings of play show that one can be actively or passively involved in play. The common denominator of these different meanings is that play provides diversion, amusement, or enjoyment.5 Play is discussed by Thomas in his questions on temperance, and more specifically in his analysis of the annexed virtue of modesty, which concerns, among other things, our bodily movements and actions.6 The words and deeds of human social interaction can be either serious or playful (ludus).7 The point of departure in our analysis of play according to Thomas is that he emphasizes its beneficial consequences and distinguishes between its social and its individual purpose. Presupposing that we have a social nature, Thomas writes that play not only takes place in a social setting, but that it is necessary for human interaction (ludus est necessarius ad conversationem humanae vitae). It enhances community relations by bringing [End Page 247] about cohesion in a group of people.8 In his commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle...

Exploring the uses of virtues in woman-centred care: A quest, synthesis and reflection.

Woman-centred care is a philosophy authentic to the midwifery profession, scaffolding and preceding the capacity and utility of woman-centred care in daily practice. Through providing guidance on the philosophical capacities-the virtues-the practical capacity and utility of woman-centred care becomes more clear and more tangible. This paper discusses the virtues of woman-centred care in midwifery practice. Eighteen virtues, described by Comte-Sponville, serve as a philosophical lens to explore and understand how each specific virtue integrates into the woman-centred care concept or vice versa, herewith becoming woman-centred care virtuous acts. The virtues are politeness, fidelity, prudence, temperance, courage, justice, generosity, compassion, mercy, gratitude, humility, simplicity, tolerance, purity, gentleness, good faith, humour and love. Exploring these virtues provides a manageable view of the complexity of woman-centred care. In this paper, first each virtue is discussed in relation to the body of knowledge of woman-centred care in midwifery. Thereafter, a sketch of pragmatism is provided through translating the virtues into practical recommendations for the professional socialization and transformation of becoming, being and doing woman-centred care.

The Slippages of Exemplary Action: The Case of Ataman Semenov

AbstractThis article investigates exemplarity from the point of view of the subject, the person who leads an exemplary life. Asking how this differs from the case of someone who intends more simply to lead a morally good life, it argues that the former requires sharp prioritizing among the range of possible human virtues. While both kinds of actor should be understood in relational terms, namely relations to the self, direct interlocutors, and wider society, a subject becomes an exemplar by objectifying and conveying to others the chosen specific form of virtue. Taking the case of Ataman Semenov, a White general in the Russian Civil War, the article then examines the pitfalls of having to take a culturally particular exemplary position. Some of these relate to the problems that occur in general when moral exemplarity is demonstrated, the subject being unable to control misreading of the exemplary act, the hesitations of followers, or the leeway with which they attempt to emulate or imitate the act. Other problems concern the historical positioning of the exemplary subject, particularly in a time of war. By making overt certain specific virtues, and by the same token backgrounding or suppressing others, he or she has to “stand out” amid general confusion and uncertainty and therefore is certain to arouse animosity, as much as loyalty.

Aristotle on Virtue as Mean State

Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean is often interpreted as a map of how character virtues are constituted. Taken in this way, critics argue that the Doctrine fails to describe accurately the specific virtues analyzed in books 3 to 5 of the Nicomachean Ethics. I argue that Aristotle does not offer the Doctrine as a map, but rather as a legend in terms of which any explication of a character virtue should be given. This interpretation resolves a number of interpretative problems in the Ethics and sheds light on the way the Doctrine does, and does not, guide action.

Análise de Escalas e Medidas de Virtudes Morais: Uma Revisão Sistemática

ABSTRACT Objective: to investigate how scales for the concept of moral virtues are constructed and measured, in studies associated with business ethics and the tradition of virtue ethics. Methods: a systematic literature review was conducted to select empirical articles on moral virtues that design or apply scales. Based on search, selection, and analysis criteria, five databases were consulted, and 37 papers were selected, with subsequent analysis of the scales development and measurement procedure (items, sample, factor analysis) and emerging factors. Results: the study gathers scales of multiple moral virtues (19) and of specific virtues (18), showing limitations in the generation of items, and in the item-sample proportion in some scales, as well as theoretical contributions in leadership and relationship strengthening, making a theoretical and methodological discussion in the light of the assumptions of virtue ethics in the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition. Conclusions: the article intends to contribute to a better understanding of moral virtues in management, by discussing the scales from the unity of virtues and the phronesis-moral virtues connection, with implications for human behavior and business ethics. Procedures are recommended for future qualitative and quantitative studies in new research contexts.

Virtues in action are related to the integration of both temperament and character: Comparing the VIA classification of virtues and Cloninger’s biopsychosocial model of personality

ABSTRACT Evidence supports three principal virtues of Self-Control, Caring, and Inquisitiveness that represent socially-construed notions of desirable behaviors. In Study 1 (n = 509 adults), we demonstrate that the three-virtue structure identified in the VIA-IS also emerges in the VIA-72. In Study 2 (n = 659 adults) we examine the relationship between virtues and personality using correlations and person-centered analyses. Cloninger’s character dimensions, which capture the sociocognitive component of personality – Self-Directedness, Cooperativeness, Self-Transcendence – showed moderate overlap with the three virtues, but remained distinct in its silent and subjective transpersonal aspects that were excluded from VIA. People with positive development of all three character traits were the most virtuous. The specific virtues of a person depended on integrated profiles of both temperament and character. We conclude that virtues are expressed when habits are persistently regulated by all three character traits to the extent that they express self-transcendent goals and values.

Commencing character: A case study of character development in college

ABSTRACT In the last century, higher education has witnessed a shift away from explicit character education. Although scholarship has recently reemerged on the importance of character in college, there are almost no empirical investigations of courses intentionally designed to impact student character at the college level. The current study examines an innovative course intervention called ‘Commencing Character’ designed to intentionally teach 16 target virtues through direct instruction, application of seven research-based strategies of character development, and engagement with over 40 commencement addresses focused on character. Comparing pre- and post-course self-reports, results indicated significant group differences in the development of seven targeted virtues when comparing students in the course (n = 31) to a control group (n = 49). These results show that a course focused explicitly on character in a way that is developmentally- and contextually-sensitive can promote the development of specific virtues.

Debating Honor in Fifth-Century BCE Athens: Towards a Comparative and Intradisciplinary Approach

This article tries less to give a practical demonstration than to theoretically sketch out and propose a novel approach to a specific aspect of ancient Greek culture, namely τιμή (honor) and the pursuit of it. Its aim is not only to illustrate the potential proficiency of such a methodology (and to set the ground for its application), but also to highlight concrete opportunities in the Humanities to study how the language of civic institutions in epigraphic sources and the moral language of ethical philosophy penetrate poetry in Greece: the idea that inscriptions and ethical philosophy are something that scholars of poetry should leave to ancient historians and philosophers has left lots of room for new scholarship in this area. Special attention is devoted here to Euripidean drama and its characters who, in exhibiting specific virtues (e.g. benevolence, solidarity, and friendship) while establishing reciprocal relationships, stand as socio-ethical examples of the pursuit of an honorable status within one’s community. Scholars have not fully explored to what extent this portrayal matches historical evidence for benefactions/exchanges between Greek citizens/cities and, at the same time, it complies with the virtues described by Aristotle’s ethical works. By interpreting honor as a means by which people regulate their social lives, the objective of this article is to show how Euripidean drama can serve as a valuable source to be explored for understanding Greek moral attitudes.

Moving toward the Internationalization of an Academic Society: Twenty-First Century Perspectives and Collaborations

ABSTRACT International perspectives and collaborations are critical to the health of the kinesiology discipline during this supercomplex age. To that end, the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE) has adopted internationalization goals that support international faculty, joining forces with other academic societies across the world to promote innovation in programming, and to create international scholar leaders. Ideas related to specific internationalization virtues within kinesiology that were developed with international colleagues in Montreal, Canada at the PHE Canada Research Council Forum (May 2019) and at the Association Internationale des Écoles Supérieures d’Éducation Physique (AISEP, International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education) Conference at Adelphi University, Garden City, New York (June 2019) will be discussed. Themes coalesced into specific virtues including Collaboration, Valuing Diversity, Openness to Interdisciplinarity, Innovation, and Leadership. These themes will be discussed and put into the context of NAKHE’s internationalization efforts.

A Ku-Band Compact Disk-Beam Relativistic Klystron Oscillator Operating at Low Guiding Magnetic Field

The disk-beam relativistic klystron oscillator (DB-RKO) with the radial-line high frequency structure is one of the attractive high power microwave (HPM) sources due to its specific virtues of weak space-charge effect, high power handling capacity and strong electron collection ability. However, such a device generally exhibits a bulky volume in the radial direction, retarding its actual applications in some compact occasions. Besides, it usually saturates slowly because of the insufficient beam-wave coupling strength. For this purpose, a compact DB-RKO with a rapid saturation process is proposed and physically designed in this paper. By compressing the axial width of the electron beam drift tube suitably, the beam-wave coupling strength is enhanced clearly and the saturation process is accelerated significantly. The whole beam-wave interaction structure is shortened with a radial length of about 5 cm. Besides, in order to increase the device compactness further, an improved magnetic-excited method is presented to enhance the magnetic field in the diode area by introducing a pair of soft-magnets. Furthermore, with the guiding of a low magnetic field of 0.4 T, the compact DB-RKO is experimentally demonstrated to be capable of generating Ku-band HPM radiations with a peak power of 810 MW, a power conversion efficiency of 28%, a center frequency of 14.19 GHz and a pulse duration of about 27 ns. The proposed DB-RKO is promising for the package of the permanent magnets which are preliminarily designed in this paper.