Journal of Value Inquiry 51 (2):251-262 (2017)
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Abstract |
The picture of moral development defended by followers of Aristotle takes moral cultivation to be like playing a harp; one gets to be good by actually spending time playing a real instrument. On this view, we cultivate a virtue by doing the actions associated with that virtue. I argue that this picture is inadequate and must be supplemented by imaginative techniques. One can, and sometimes must, cultivate virtue without actually performing the associated actions. Drawing on strands in Buddhist philosophy, I explain several methods of moral development that rely on imagination and visualization rather than overt action. These techniques are essential in cases where cultivating virtue the way one practices the harp is impossible. In particular, I focus on single-event virtues, first-time virtuous acts, and morally dangerous situations.
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Keywords | Moral Development Aristotle Imagination Lojong Mind Training Tsongkhapa Buddhism Shantideva Śāntideva blo sbyong |
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DOI | 10.1007/s10790-016-9566-5 |
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References found in this work BETA
The Therapy of Desire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics.Martha Craven Nussbaum - 1994 - Princeton University Press.
Aristotle on learning to be good.Myles F. Burnyeat - 1980 - In Amélie Oksenberg Rorty (ed.), Essays on Aristotle's Ethics. University of California Press. pp. 69--92.
Aristotle on Becoming Virtuous by Doing Virtuous Actions.Marta Jimenez - 2016 - Phronesis 61 (1):3-32.
Practical Wisdom: A Mundane Account.Rosalind Hursthouse - 2006 - Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 106 (3):283–307.
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Citations of this work BETA
Empathy with Vicious Perspectives? A Puzzle About the Moral Limits of Empathetic Imagination.Olivia Bailey - 2021 - Synthese 199 (3-4):9621-9647.
Suffering and the Six Perfections: Using Adversity to Attain Wisdom in Mahāyāna Buddhist Ethics.Emily McRae - 2018 - Journal of Value Inquiry 52 (4):395-410.
Understanding What It's Like To Be (Dis)Privileged.Nicholas Wiltsher - 2021 - Pacific Philosophical Quarterly.
Imaginative virtue ethics: A transportation-transcendental approach.Surendra Arjoon & Meena Rambocas - 2022 - International Journal of Ethics Education 7 (1):35-51.
Talk About Pop Muzik: Discussion of Enrico Terrone, ‘Listening to Other Minds: A Phenomenology of Pop Songs’, BJA 60 (2020), 435–453.Nicholas Wiltsher - 2021 - British Journal of Aesthetics 61 (4):471-483.
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