Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Virtues and skills, optional and not








Heath White said...

I am wondering how sharp the line is between virtues and skills.

For example: plausibly, the need to have others around, constantly, and the inability to be alone, is a vice or weakness. Some capacity for solitude is a virtue.

However, there are many stories of monks who meditate (East) or pray (West) in isolation for years at a time. I am fairly sure that most people would go insane under those conditions, as they do in solitary confinement. Do they lack a virtue, or a skill? And is this lack unfortunate or not? I'm not sure of the answer.

Alexander R Pruss said...

One thought I've seen from a monastic writer--probably Thomas Merton--is something like that one should not become a monk because one doesn't have a capacity for being with other people.

In my terminology, the point is: A capacity for doing well around others is a non-optional virtue. If you lack this virtue, you should not become a hermit, because becoming a hermit is not likely to develop it, and it is a non-optional virtue, so you should have it.

Heath White said...

Sorry, I was unclear. I meant: do those who lack the ability to live in isolation for years at a time lack a virtue? Lack a skill? Is it unfortunate? I dunno.

I agree that lacking the ability to associate well with others is to lack a virtue.

Alexander R Pruss said...

I think one difference is that a virtue includes a disposition to act appropriately in the relevant respect when it's called for. But a skill at most involves a disposition to act appropriately in the relevant respect when one so chooses.

The courageous person (typically) stands fast in the face of danger when this is called for. But a person who has the skill of standing on one foot may stand on one foot precisely when this is not called for.