Constancy and integrity: (un)measurable virtues?

Abstract

Positive psychology seeks to establish a classification of character strengths and virtues based on objective measures, and so to provide guidance on how good character might be developed. However, it offers no substantive theory of the good life. A short critique of this approach is offered, and an alternative mode of empirical enquiry is explored following Alasdair MacIntyre's philosophy. The virtues of constancy and integrity as they appear in the career narratives of leaders in Scottish banking illustrate this mode of enquiry. Empirical enquiry into these virtues reveals a process of interpretation, which is dependent on an understanding of structures in virtue ethics and an understanding of the way that particular agents pursue their own ideas of human flourishing in some particular social milieu. One consequence of this is that, while behavioural tendencies or dispositions might be measurable through statistical method, virtues are not.

Confucian ethics, moral foundations, and shareholder value perspectives: An exploratory study

“…Consistent with previous findings (Romar, 2004;Vitell, Paolillo, & Thomas, 2003), our results further testify to the persistent influence of traditional culture values, especially ethical values on business managers' actions and business decisions (Hofstede, 1994;Mudrack, 2007). Importantly, the findings augment our knowledge and enhance our "understanding of ethical practices among different cultures and countries," which is an issue of increasing importance in today's global economy (Vitell & Patwardhan, 2008, p. 196 Joseph, Graham, & Haidt, 2009 Robson, 2015). As part of this effort, cross-cultural dialogues have been initiated (Vermander, 2016;Zsolnai, 2007).…”

“…Disenchanted with business ethics that focuses solely on regulating economic exchange relationships, many scholars have turned to virtue ethics for guidance on developing moral character and living a righteous life (O'Mara‐Shimek, Guillén, & Gomis, ; Robson, ). As part of this effort, cross‐cultural dialogues have been initiated (Vermander, ; Zsolnai, ).…”

Moral Education at Work: On the Scope of MacIntyre’s Concept of a Practice

“…Beadle 2013; Beadle and Könyöt 2006;Moore 2012b;Robson 2015;Bernacchio and Couch 2015) have already demonstrated its usefulness. Much of this work is narrative-focused and so allows for the kinds of discussions about goods and ends which are necessary to practices, and therefore for the relationships required by a narrative that is genuinely shaped by goods internal to that practice.…”

Introduction‐virtue and virtuousness: when will the twain ever meet?

“…In this brief review we identify complaints made against the project of positive social science rather than those targeting exemplars, of which Peterson & Seligman's () list of Virtues in Action (see Banicki and Robson in this issue) is the most regular. The commonality of complaints prosecuted by adherents of different virtue traditions is notable and shares much with complaints from phenomenological hermeneutics (Banicki ).…”

“…First, the accusation of ‘armchair philosophy’ that positive social science has made of virtue ethics is hard to reconcile with the growing body of empirical work that is being undertaken within virtue ethics traditions (e.g. Dawson , Bull & Adam and both Bernacchio and Couch and Robson , in this issue). This work rests on methodological commitments to narrative analysis of data that is quite at odds with the correlational and experimental methods of positive social science, but represents an undeniable retort to the proposition that investigation of ethics can only be undertaken with positivist commitments.…”