Virtue is a moral concept that focuses on the forms of subjective development of moral values. The term “virtue” indicates a kind of an integral quality of a character, which is the moral goal of a person and without which they cannot be considered morally perfect. Virtue ethics is one of the three main approaches in normative ethics today. It can tentatively be characterized as an approach that emphasizes virtues and moral character, as opposed to approaches that emphasize the importance of duties and rules (deontology) or the consequences of actions (consequentialism).
In her essay, Sommers explains that virtue ethics is more than just adherence to social laws and policies; in her understanding, virtue requires “private morality” that every person should employ in their judgements. The author sees that today’s main problem with teaching ethics is that students often lack that private morality – they are morally agnostic and use relativistic approach to ethical issues. According to Sommers, “because the typical course in applied ethics concentrates on problems and dilemmas, the students may not see that some things are clearly right and some are clearly wrong” (para. 16). Thus, Sommers offers a basic answer: private morality should be taught in schools nationwide, just like it had been before mid-60s. If the learning institutions do not instill morality in children, then the society as a whole would suffer. Children should learn morality from history and literature, explore philosophical ideas to develop universal virtues of humility, kindness, compassion – this is the scope of Sommers’ idea.
In the video provided by YaleCourses, Doctor Tamar Gendler explores the concept of virtue ethics from the viewpoint of Aristotelian approach. She states that, by using Aristotle’s method of consciously choosing to act virtuously again and again, people can instill morality in themselves and others, and thus, turn normative laws into descriptive. According to Gendler, “if you want to become something, act as if that is what you already were” (YaleCourses, 2012, 7:10-7:23). Thus, in Dr. Gendler’s perspective, habit is a force that can help develop normative laws into descriptive and therefore, promote virtue and justice in society by creating role models and exemplary behavior.
This, indeed, can be viewed as human programming, as it takes effort to monitor and correct one’s behavior constantly; I can agree that this approach emphasizes the idea of good behavior being a conscious choice. I think that continuously choosing to act virtuously despite the influence of others or any external factors requires a significant amount of commitment and strength; maintaining such attitude often promotes acts of goodness in others. By behaving virtuously, people inspire others to follow, and, ultimately, this leads to the development of a social habit – a descriptive law. In my opinion, Dr. Gendler’s and Sommers’ opinions on the virtue ethics can be aligned to support each other, despite the fact that they review the concept from two very different perspectives. By teaching morality in schools, we can facilitate the development of virtuous behavior in people, making it a standard for everyone in society.
I find Sommers’ arguments and proposal to teach virtue through history, philosophy, and literature rather convincing – events of the past affect the present, and it is necessary to understand that every action has its consequences. By looking at historical conflicts, analyzing the social and ethical background of writers, and evaluating philosophical ideas, students can develop their understanding of morality. I do believe that some things are not as black and white as one can think at the first glance. However, I think that, if a person has a strong moral foundation, they will be able to make correct judgement, and that foundation should be built from a young age.
Works Cited
Sommers, Christina Hoff. “Teaching the Virtues.” The Forerunner, 2016, Web.
YaleCourses. “9. Virtue and Habit I.” YouTube, 2012, Web.