Character, Attitude and Disposition

Abstract

Penultimate draft. Please cite only the published version. AbstractRecent debate over the empirical psychological presuppositions of virtue ethics has focused on reactive behavioural dispositions. But there are many character traits that cannot be understood properly in this way. Such traits are well described by attitude psychology. Moreover, the findings of attitude psychology support virtue ethics in three ways. First, they confirm the role of habituation in the development of character.Further, they show virtue ethics to be compatible with the situation manipulation experiments at the heart of the recent debate. Finally, they show how the cognitiveaffective theory of personality and the two-system theory of behavioural cognition are compatible, thereby undermining the current empirical challenge to virtue ethics.Empirical research into the nature and development of attitudes should therefore be central to philosophical discussions of virtue and character.

Narrative and Character Formation

“…33 In a similar vein, Jonathan Webber has argued that the empirical studies indicating the dominance of situational factors rely on temporarily increasing the cognitive accessibility of certain attitudes that it is normal to possess (that is, to conform to social norms) in a way that can cause some of our other attitudes (to help others) to be suppressed. 34 This evidence is consistent with understanding the possession of a character trait according to the degree to which it raises the probability of acting on the relevant value. Meanwhile, many of the traits of interest to virtue ethicists are not a matter of simply reacting to situations but are primarily concerned with the kinds of situations we actively aim to bring about or avoid, such as novelty seeking or shyness.…”

Intellectual Humility as Attitude

“… I am not the first to make this claim. See Webber () for an account of some ethical virtues in terms of attitudes. Unlike Webber I hold that the notion of attitude function is crucial if we want to understand why virtues are attitudes. …”

The Need for Cosmopolitan Literacy in a Global Age: Implications for Teaching Literature

“…The terms orientation , outlook , and mode of being presuppose cosmopolitanism as a character disposition. Unlike skills that can be visibly taught and measured, dispositions are acquired through one's learning, experiences, and practices that contribute to long‐term character formation (Webber, ). Openness to difference: Contemporary scholars have conceptualized new cosmopolitanism to counter an older, enlightenment view that perpetuates a universalism masking the values of Western modernity. Conversely, the idealized new cosmopolitan accommodates forms of belonging that are multiple rather than monolithic and embraces the hybrid identity of cosmopolitan patriotism (Appiah, ), in which one may remain connected to the values of one's community while being open to values from other cultures. Other‐centered: The goals of cosmopolitan ethics are not targeted at benefiting the market, a nation, or a specific community or institution.…”