Welcome to Wisdom NOTES: A short transcript summary capturing insights from conversations on In Search of Wisdom. This edition comes from my interview with Massimo Pigliucci, the author of The Quest for Character.
The Quest for Character
In this episode, my guest is Massimo Pigliucci, the author of the new book, The Quest for Character. Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology and a PhD in Philosophy. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophies like Stoicism. You can learn more about Prof. Pigliucci at massimopigliucci.org.
In the conversation, Massimo and I discuss:
Whether virtue can be taught
How to define or think about virtue
Why we have a duty to cultivate our character
The connection between character and your philosophy of life
How to see yourself as a citizen of the world and much more
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1. Can Virtue be Taught?
Wisdom Note #1: In the video below, Massimo explains that whether or not virtue can be taught is not as straightforward as we might think.
2. What is Virtue?
Wisdom Note #2: I asked Massimo, “How should we define (or think about) virtue?”
Pigliucci: That's a good question. Because one of the problems with virtue and writing about virtue is that most people in the Western world, at least, if they hear the word virtue, they hear something stuffy and something that is clearly influenced by 2000 years of Christian tradition. They start thinking about purity and chastity and things like that. No, that's not what we're talking about. Those aren't virtues. Those are part of some of the Christian virtues. But that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about the Greco-Roman virtues.
The four fundamental ones are practical wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. Practical wisdom is the knowledge of what is really good and what is not good for you. So what should be your objectives, your goals, your priorities, things like that — is practical wisdom. Courage is the courage to do the right thing, even though it may cost you. Justice is what tells you what that right thing is. And typically, it boils down to behaving towards other people, the way in which you would like them to behave toward you. So with fairness, respect, etc. And then temperance is a matter of doing things in the right amount, neither too much nor too little.
Now, virtues are character traits. And a character trait is essentially a disposition to act in a certain way. […]
3. Character and Duty
Wisdom Note #3: Do we have a duty or obligation to cultivate our character?
Pigliucci: I think we have a duty or an obligation to improve our character because, again, character means making the right decisions or better decisions and interacting better with other people. Now, one could logically say I don't give a damn about other people and don't care about interacting with others. Well, that's fine. I mean, that's certainly a possibility. But in that case, you are obviously a sociopath. And you're probably guaranteed not to get a lot of friends and not to get a lot of help when you need it.
You're not a good member of the human Cosmopolis. In that sense. In general, I think ethics is best understood in how British author and philosopher Philippa Foot understood it as a set of conditional imperatives. Meaning a condition imperative is an if-then kind of statement. If I want to be well regarded by others, I should act in certain ways. If I want to be a good member in good standing of the human Cosmopolis, then I should be helpful to others as well. If I want to be a good father, I should pay attention to my kids. If I want to be a good partner, then I should be loving and caring with my partner, etc.
Now, all of these are if you don't care about being a good partner, or a good father or a good citizen, yeah, that's an option. But your life isn't going to be that pretty because human beings are eminently social beings. […]
Thank you for listening/reading; I hope you found something useful.
If you’re interested in learning more, listen to the entire conversation and pick up Massimo’s new book, The Quest for Character, wherever books are sold.
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Until next time, be wise and be well,
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