Entries Tagged 'Six Virtues Revisited' ↓

The July 30 Save Our Schools march in Washington puts a spotlight on teacher frustration.  (Was there ever a time when teachers were not frustrated with policy makers? students? parents? administrators? or other teachers?)  Anthony Cody’s June 22 blog describes his frustration with the democratic governance of public education:

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2011/06/a_one-sided_dialogue_teacher_f.html?cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS2

In my previous blog I asked if the Washington marchers were marching for anything in particular.  That was silly of me.  They are marching because they believe many things about improving public education.  Diane Ravitch listed hers in this blog:

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2011/06/why_i_am_marching_on_july_30.html

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The six-virtue scheme needs to be qualified for the virtue of generosity.

When a person’s basic needs for food, shelter, and belonging have been met, generosity is the virtuous spiritual capability. It is demonstrated by all who act with a generous spirit.

If those needs are not met, however, it is easy to imagine situations in which generosity would be unnatural, and selfishness would not be a vice. Humans need a certain level of food, shelter, and belonging as a precondition for acting with generosity toward others.

Ever since writing TSVOTEP I have had the sense that “fear” is not the vice that is opposite courage. Fear is a survival reflex. Therefore, my new perspective is that fear is sometimes a good thing. That makes it different from ignorance, intellectual incompetence, weak character, pride and selfishness. None of these are ever good things. (Regarding the last one, the six-virtue scheme will soon include the caveat that selfishness is a vice only after a person’s basic needs for food, shelter and belonging have been met. That blog is forthcoming in the category, “Six Virtues Revisited.”)

So, what is the opposite of courage? Everyone is fearful of things that can harm them, and they should be. But is there something that should never be feared? And would fearing that something be a vice that emerges from weak character? The opposite of courage is not the general feeling of fear, but the specific “fear of truth.”

An example is an addict’s denial. Until denial (fear of truth) becomes acceptance, treatment can’t be successful because denial blocks the courage needed to overcome addiction.
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