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23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / d. Teaching virtue

[whether people can be taught to be virtuous]

28 ideas
Protagoras contradicts himself by saying virtue is teachable, but then that it is not knowledge [Plato on Protagoras]
Socrates is torn between intellectual virtue, which is united and teachable, and natural virtue, which isn't [PG on Socrates]
Socrates agrees that virtue is teachable, but then denies that there are teachers [Socrates, by MacIntyre]
Antisthenes said virtue is teachable and permanent, is life's goal, and is like universal wealth [Antisthenes (I), by Long]
Virtue is the aim of all laws [Plato]
Is virtue taught, or achieved by practice, or a natural aptitude, or what? [Plato]
If virtue is a type of knowledge then it ought to be taught [Plato]
It seems that virtue is neither natural nor taught, but is a divine gift [Plato]
Socrates did not believe that virtue could be taught [Plato]
If we punish wrong-doers, it shows that we believe virtue can be taught [Plato]
Socrates is contradicting himself in claiming virtue can't be taught, but that it is knowledge [Plato]
Nature enables us to be virtuous, but habit develops virtue in us [Aristotle]
We acquire virtues by habitually performing good deeds [Aristotle]
Like activities produce like dispositions, so we must give the right quality to the activity [Aristotle]
We must practise virtuous acts because practice actually teaches us the nature of virtue [Burnyeat on Aristotle]
True education is training from infancy to have correct feelings [Aristotle]
People can break into the circle of virtue and good action, by chance, or with help [Aristotle]
We acquire virtue by the repeated performance of just and temperate acts [Aristotle]
Associating with good people can be a training in virtue [Aristotle]
Repentance of shameful deeds is salvation [Democritus (attr)]
Virtue comes more from practice than from nature [Democritus (attr)]
Rituals escape natural chaos, and benefit everyone, by reshaping our motivations [Xunzi (Xun Kuang), by Norden]
Rituals don't arise from human nature; they are the deliberate creations of a sage [Xunzi (Xun Kuang)]
Aquinas wanted, not to escape desire, but to transform it for moral ends [Aquinas, by MacIntyre]
If virtue becomes a habit, that is a loss of the freedom needed for adopting maxims [Kant]
It is hard to learn goodness from others, because their virtues are part of their personal history [Murdoch]
Art trains us in the love of virtue [Murdoch]
Moral education is better by concrete example than abstract principle [Statman]