Teaching Human Virtues Essay Example

definition, formal education is also a means to teach and learn various virtues through literature and other written sources.

Learning institutions play a role in providing the theoretical framework for human virtues. Students gain knowledge of these virtues in the classroom, while practical experience teaches them in real-world situations outside of school. Aristotle believes that virtues are only gained by following the "mean" principle, which suggests that virtues are middle values between excess and deficiency (Yu, p. 341). Human beings start as a tabula rasa and progress into developing their virtues through learning from experience.

According to Aristotle, courage is the mean between excessive courage or rashness, and cowardice or the deficiency of courage. To achieve human virtues and live within the "mean", individuals must habituate their actions. Aristotle believes that every human should strive for Eudaimonia or the good life, and constantly practice virtues to establish good habits. Aristotle's theory suggests that virtues can be taught by habituating virtuous actions towards others, thereby teaching them about the value of these virtues.

Experiencing actions such as helping an elderly person cross the street can teach individuals about the virtue of kindness. To fill the “blank tablets” of knowledge in children, consistent exposure to these actions and encouraging them to do the same can instill virtues in them. In his book The Construction of Social Reality, John Searle argues that institutional facts are socially constructed facts. This means that human beings and society are responsible for creating these facts, including human virtue. The nature of virtues has been theorized by humans for centuries, making it an institutional fact. Virtues, therefore, cannot exist without human beings.

According to the

naming of "human virtues," it implies that these virtues originated from humanity. Searle argues that these virtues can be taught just like any other factual lesson in schools or families. Some people even create their own systems of virtues. The existence of different conceptions of human virtues shows that they have been developed in various cultures and times. What may be deemed as absurd by one group, like cannibalism, may be seen as virtuous by another group.

Throughout various groups, particular virtues are transmitted across generations, allowing them to persist or change into an alternative form. In regions steeped in tradition, virtues may be imparted orally or through practical application. For instance, in the Philippines, the value of "bayanihan" - a communal effort in which residents collaborate to relocate a house by using manual labor - is taught through storytelling to younger individuals and firsthand observation of the practice (Gibson and Zellmer-Bruhn, p. 283).

Mass media has become a significant tool for teaching human virtues in modern countries. The United States, for example, boasts various television networks that air numerous shows daily. Popular shows like "Simpsons" and "King of the Hill", with adult viewers, often convey values relating to family matters through their character development and storyline. Whereas children's programming, such as "Baby Looney Tunes" and "Sesame Street", attract a more extensive audience share, hence, tends to impart values that are easy for children to understand and appreciate (Cross, p.).

There are those who claim that instructing humans in pure virtue is unachievable because they contend that teaching virtue is consistently prejudiced and modified. They posit that what we perceive as virtues are essentially imitations of imitations,

ad infinitum. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that modifications only transpire within certain circumstances, while virtues remain constant in their overall essence. To illustrate, a father might educate his offspring that pursuing retaliation for their grandfather's slaying is exclusively virtuous once they come of age.

Although the father may have been taught about the "virtue" of revenge from his family circle in previous generations, it is generally acknowledged that hurting others is not virtuous. Human virtues like kindness and forgiveness should still be valued and utilized, even though some argue that they cannot be learned due to humans' instinctual need for self-preservation. People usually prioritize their own well-being and may refrain from promoting others' interests out of fear of conflicting interests.

The argument response depends on the nature of human virtues, which are named "human virtues" because they assume that humans naturally interact and share with others. If virtues lack sincere interaction and sharing, they cannot be considered virtues but personal philosophies or guiding principles. The name "human virtues" implies that these virtues go beyond individualism and selfishness. Otherwise, they would not be virtues. Although humans may have a selfish gene or tendency, it does not imply that they are exclusively selfish beings.

Although teaching human virtues to others, including children and those in need, may face hindrances, it is not impossible. Knowledge of human virtues can be gained through daily experiences and observation or from experts on the subject. Even if some choose not to impart these values onto others, it does not imply that individuals are incapable of doing so. The decision whether or not to teach human virtues highlights their teachability regardless of

personal preferences.

It is possible to teach human virtues through various methods like observing behavior, giving ostensive definitions, or presenting theoretical examples. The fact that human virtues have been transmitted from one generation to another is undeniable, even for the most self-centered individuals.
Works Cited: Cross, Gary.

The article titled "Crowds and Leisure: Thinking Comparatively across the 20th Century" was published in the Journal of Social History in 2006, with Cristina B. Gibson and Mary E. as the authors, spanning from page 631 to 650.The article titled "Metaphors and Meaning: An Intercultural Analysis of the Concept of Teamwork" was authored by Zellmer-Bruhn and published in the journal Administrative Science Quarterly, volume 46, issue 2, in the year 2001, spanning pages 274-303.The text contains two sources. The first is a book titled "The Construction of Social Reality" by John Searle, published by Free Press in 1995. The second source is an article titled "Tabula Rasa, Social Environmentalism, and The 'English Paradigm'" written by Neal Wood and published in the Journal of the History of Ideas, volume 53.

Two sources are cited in this text. The first source is "Virtue Ethics and Modern Society" by Rosalind Hursthouse, published in 1992, with page numbers 647-68. The second source is "Virtue: Confucius and Aristotle" by Jiyuan Yu, published in Philosophy East and West in 1998, with page numbers 323-47.