Character / Jay R. Elliott.

Author
Elliott, Jay [Browse]
Format
Book
Language
English
Published/​Created
London : Bloomsbury Academic, 2017.
Description
193 pages ; 23 cm

Availability

Copies in the Library

Location Call Number Status Location Service Notes
Firestone Library - Stacks BJ1521 .E455 2017 Browse related items Request

    Details

    Subject(s)
    Series
    Bloomsbury ethics series [More in this series]
    Summary note
    Why do people do evil? How can we learn to do better? Philosophers in the long-standing tradition of 'virtue ethics' argue that we act badly because of shortcomings in our character, and that we can improve by practicing virtues such as courage, honesty, and compassion. Recently, philosophical 'situationists' have issued a profound challenge to this tradition: they argue that anyone can act badly if placed in a sufficiently tempting situation, and that the goal of cultivating good character is misguided and may even be harmful. Rather than encouraging us to pursue the ideal of virtue, these philosophers propose that ethics should instead begin by recognizing the profound limits of human self-knowledge and self-control. This book critically examines the arguments and evidence on each side of this debate, with a special focus on the connections between the philosophical issues and current research in social and personality psychology. Character also includes guides to further reading that will help students deepen their understanding of this essential topic in contemporary ethics.
    Bibliographic references
    Includes bibliographical references (pages 163-189) and index.
    Contents
    • Part one. Character and action in virtue ethics
    • 1. Virtues as character traits
    • 2. Acting against character
    • part two. Traits and behavior in psychology
    • 3. Six classic experiments
    • 4. Reconstructing traits in psychology
    • Part Three. Understanding the virtue ethics-situationism debate
    • 5. The varieties of situationist challenge
    • 6. How not to defend virtue ethics.
    ISBN
    • 9781472574244 ((HB))
    • 1472574249 ((HB))
    • 9781472574237
    • 1472574230
    OCLC
    957546597
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