A Theory of Virtue Excellence in Being for the Good

by Adams, Robert Merrihew

• ISBN13: 9780199552252
• ISBN10: 0199552258
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-15
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The distinguished philosopher Robert M. Adams presents a major work on virtue, which is once again a central topic in ethical thought. A Theory of Virtue is a systematic, comprehensive framework for thinking about the moral evaluation of character. Many recent attempts to stake out a place in moral philosophy for this concern define virtue in terms of its benefits for the virtuous person or for human society more generally. In Part One Adams presents and defends a conception of virtue as intrinsic excellence of character, worth prizing for its own sake and not only for its benefits. In the other two parts he addresses two challenges to the ancient idea of excellence of character. One challenge arises from the importance of altruism in modern ethical thought, and the question of what altruism has to do with intrinsic excellence. Part Two argues that altruistic benevolence does indeed have a crucial place in excellence of character, but that moral virtue should also be expected to involve excellence in being for other goods besides the well-being (and the rights) of other persons. It explores relations among cultural goods, personal relationships, one's own good, and the good of others, as objects of excellent motives. The other challenge, the subject of Part Three of the book, is typified by doubts about the reality of moral virtue, arising from experiments and conclusions in social psychology. Adams explores in detail the prospects for an empirically realistic conception of excellence of character as an object of moral aspiration, endeavor, and education. He argues that such a conception will involve renunciation of the ancient thesis of the unity or mutual implication of all virtues, and acknowledgment of sufficient 'moral luck' in the development of any individual's character to make virtue very largely a gift, rather than an individual achievement, though nonetheless excellent and admirable for that.

Author Biography

Robert Merrihew Adams is Professor of Philosophy at Mansfield College, University of Oxford

Table of Contents

What is virtue?
Introduction	p. 3
The Subject Matter	p. 3
Virtue and Right Action	p. 6
Outline	p. 11
Excellence in Being for the Good	p. 14
Being for	p. 15
The Goods that Virtue is For	p. 19
Excellence as Criterion of Virtue	p. 23
Virtue and the Virtues	p. 31
Wickedness and Vices	p. 36
Virtue and the Vices	p. 36
Vices of Weakness and of Excess	p. 37
Satanic Wickedness	p. 38
Malice	p. 41
Vices of Ruthlessness and Indifference	p. 44
Virtue and its Benefits	p. 48
Human Flourishing	p. 48
Variations on Trait Consequentialism	p. 53
Does Virtue Pay?	p. 60
Self and Other
Altruism	p. 65
Does it Matter Whether Altruism is Excellent?	p. 66
What's so Excellent about Altruism?	p. 73
Impure Benevolence and Justice as a Virtue	p. 77
Self-Sacrifice	p. 81
Common Projects	p. 84
A Moral Phenomenon to be Explained	p. 84
Common Projects and Human Good	p. 86
Common Projects and Altruism	p. 90
Self-Love and the Vices of Self-Preference	p. 95
Butler and the Harmony of Self-Love with Benevolence	p. 95
Selfishness	p. 98
Self-Centeredness and Vices of Cognitive Self-Preference	p. 102
Unselfish Self-Love	p. 105
Are There Really any Virtues?
Moral Inconsistency	p. 115
Traits and Situations: A Challenge	p. 115
Direct Behavioral Dispositions	p. 120
Traits of Motivation and Thought	p. 130
Affiliations and Social Roles	p. 138
Moral Frailty and Moral Luck	p. 144
Situationist Experiments and the Frailty of Virtue	p. 144
Social Temptations	p. 152
Can Virtues Be Frail and Dependent?	p. 155
Moral Luck	p. 158
Moral Effort and Moral Character	p. 161
Virtue as Gift	p. 165
Do the Virtues All Imply Each Other?	p. 171
The Idea of the Unity of the Virtues	p. 171
Courage	p. 175
Wisdom	p. 184
Benevolence	p. 189
Plural and Integrated Virtue	p. 200
Is Virtue Necessarily Complete?	p. 201
Moral Integration and Virtue	p. 206
Can Virtue Be Taught?	p. 212
Elementary Tasks	p. 213
Modular Tasks	p. 216
Integrative Tasks	p. 221
Should Virtue Be Taught?	p. 229
Bibliography	p. 233
Index of Virtues and Vices	p. 241
General Index	p. 244
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