Virtue
Ethics
Socrates asked the great question: “Can virtue be taught?” Talking about a form of life that’s ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or ‘virtuous’ or ‘vicious’ is an expression of personal tastes and preferences. However, although virtue ethics are typically viewed in the lens of feelings and opinions, virtuous action does involve thinking as well as feeling. For example, one is out of alignment when one thinks virtuously, but feels and desires in a way that is in conflict with virtue − consequence of people becoming prisoners to their desires against their better judgment. Virtue is a universal principal so it is not accessible to the senses. The senses can only pickup particulars (things that can be touched), they cannot pickup universals. You can’t point at that which is universal. So the question becomes, “How can you teach virtue if you can’t show something, can’t point to it?” Socrates felt that teaching becomes just teaching 'arts & crafts' or 'Techne' as opposed to ‘Wisdom’. He is looking for a kind of wisdom that guides one days and one's life and prepares one's soul for the eternal life that is undertaken with the death of the body. You can’t teach the Pythagorean theorem to a child, nor can you teach the theorem to someone who’s rational ‘backpack’ is ill equipped. Very difficult to teach acts or actions of virtue those who’s soul has been corrupted or incompletely developed, so impoverished that they do not resonate to the instruction. Caring about developing the right character is a 24/7 job, a nonstop challenge in all times of your life. Virtuous actions do involve thinking and feeling. Sometimes it’s as simple as “Do a kindness every day”. Socrates appreciated that to achieve moral excellence one needs to excel in virtue – “Arete”. The core value of Virtue Ethics concerns character – to be an excellent human being. “Excellence” in the same vain as Robert Pirsig's “Quality” – a theory of reality as introduced in his metaphysical novel “Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” (1974). Classic examples virtuous traits – qualities or good traits of
character (bad traits are called ‘vices’): As Sylvia says, “If you live your life by Gratitude and
Loyalty you will never get derailed, you will never get offtrack, you will never really have any physical or
mental or spiritual ills. The Loyalty factor takes in so much. It means, first of all, loving yourself – be
loyal to yourself, loyal to your own virtues, loyal to your own feelings, and loyal to your own life Theme. Most of all, be loyal to other people and to your
religion and to your family and friends. This does not mean that we have to be loyal to people who are dishonest
and awful or do not care about us. That is stupid…People say, “Well, I do not like to play games in life.” No!
You are playing the game of life, and that is the biggest game of all. The other [virtue] is Gratitude. I think
ingratitude, if there is such a thing as “sin,” has got to be a “cardinal sin.” Ingratitude makes a
person z
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