Can virtue be taught?

[vincent10395]

Hey guys,
In my philosophy class I was assigned the topic “Can virtue be taught?” for my paper. I would like to know your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Mimi]

Not only “can it be taught”, but it must be taught (and practiced).

Maybe this might help:
The Catholic Toolbox

What a great topic. Hope you learn a lot by writing your paper.

Mimi

 

[edwest2]

Hey guys,
In my philosophy class I was assigned the topic “Can virtue be taught?” for my paper. I would like to know your thoughts. Thanks.

It certainly can. Ideally, the parents, or parent, should be the primary teacher of right and wrong. Children are just not born with an automatic desire to learn right from wrong. The other important aspect is having people around that practice virtuous behavior, like relatives, neighbors and even friends. Young minds do not get an adult’s understanding of their actions but do tend to imitate good behavior. Then we add teachers, who should model good behaviors.

On the negative side: We have a media that distorts what could be good and adds elements of bad to very bad behaviors. Kids need to be guided toward virtue and away from the bad so parents need to watch what they watch and read what they read, especially with the internet. That includes placing limits on what they can read, see and hear, and telling them, according to their age: “No, that’s bad.” to (as they get older) “That’s bad and here’s why.” Even when going shopping, there are magazine covers that make me think “If that was my daughter, I would give her a good talk about proper behavior, clothes and attitude.” Generally, as a child goes into puberty and his early teens, he is experiencing some feelings that need to be understood.

Others can have their say about what’s right and wrong, but as a parent, your kids are your kids, not somebody else’s. Instilling virtue is very important when they’re young, because as they practice it, it will help them as they grow older to do virtuous things as if it were second nature.

Best,
Ed

 

[Rhubarb]

That depends what you define virtue as, I suppose. In the Meno, Plato seems to say no, or at least Plato’s Socrates can’t say yes. In the Nicomachean Ethucs, Aristotle seems to say yes.

I’m persuaded by Aristotle more. That virtue, as I conceive it, requires practice to pick up.

 

[MrSnaith]

Yes, virtue can be taught. In fact, virtue is taught.

A child is not born with a clear understanding of right and wrong. Moreover, a child is not born actively practicing virtue (or vice). A child is an empty slate, and how they learn to behave, they learn through observation and imitation.

Is there a genetic component to virtue and vice? Yes. It is true that some people are more predisposed to picking up and practicing certain virtues and vices, and this is likely derived from a genetic predisposition. A predisposition, however, does not override learning and practice.

Thus, virtue is certainly taught. Not simply possibly, but actually.

 

[Nelka]

Yes of course.

 

[pianistclare]

Yes, absolutely. Good luck on your paper.

 

[DebChris]

You can teach respect. Respect is a virtue. Much of respect start with common courtesies. Simple things like saying please and thank you. You start with the externals which the child over time internalizes.

 

[John_Martin]

Virtues, being habits, are largely learned by repetition, required by parents and teachers, etc. Over time the child habitually does virtuous-like acts, but not necessarily from the heart (the older brother of the prodigal son).

Also, as reason plays more and more of a role in a child’s life, understanding can begin to develop, aided by dialog with teachers, parents, etc., wherein the child sees he likes himself being virtuous - he begins to understand that being virtuous is part of the meaning and goodness of life. Then not only are his works good (virtuous) but he is good himself (virtuous).

 

[lmelahn]

Hey guys,
In my philosophy class I was assigned the topic “Can virtue be taught?” for my paper. I would like to know your thoughts. Thanks.

I am going to follow Socrates’ line in Meno: could anyone define “virtue” before we start discussing whether it can be taught?

(Yes, I have a proposed answer, but I would like to hear what others have to say first.)

 

[John_Martin]

I am going to follow Socrates’ line in Meno: could anyone define “virtue” before we start discussing whether it can be taught?

(Yes, I have a proposed answer, but I would like to hear what others have to say first.)

I think many have left the thread, but in case we can get it rolling again, I will give answers from what I see in the posts:.
My post had virtue as habits (they would be good habits, being virtues). I did not get into faith, hope, charity, because the topic was whether children can be taught virtues.

DebChris named Respect as a virtue, which would seem to indicate virtue being good actions toward others.

MrSnaith seems to be saying that virtue is good behavior, an understanding of right and wrong guiding behavior. edwest2 seems to agree with this, adding that it tends to become second nature over time.

 

[Mongo]

Hey guys,
In my philosophy class I was assigned the topic “Can virtue be taught?” for my paper. I would like to know your thoughts. Thanks.

Yes, that was the basic goal of education according to Aristotle from what I recall. Most of real education is learning how to live or what to do or how to accomplish a task. It isn’t reducible to intellectual discussions or mathematical conclusions.

Further, a virtue is a good habit. according to Aristotelian philosophy and thomism there are intellectual virtues or habits as well that are involved in the process of learning or seeking the truth. You learn good habits through continual performance of good actions so that eventually that good response becomes automatic.

 

[ynotzap]

Virtue: A good quality of the mind by which we live rightly and which no one can use for evil, a good habit. The opposite is called vice, a bad habit The natural virtues are acquired by constant repetition of good acts, are distinguished into intellectual virtues and moral virtues. The cardinal virtues are Prudence, Justice, temperance, and Fortitude. There are the supernatural virtues of Faith, Hope and Love. The cardinal virtues have a finite good for their object, the supernatural virtues have God as their formal object. The supernatural virtues are infused by God

 

[StrawberryJam]

You must get them while they are very young and indoctrinate them. They are like clay in your hands. You can groom them to believe anything from a very young age.