Virtues That Most Affected My Life: Humility

Virtues That Most Affected My Life: Humility A story about Socrates highlights the essence of humility. When asked who the wisest person in Athens was, the Oracle of Delphi said Socrates. Socrates said this couldn’t be true because he knew nothing. By admitting his ignorance, Socrates confirmed the oracle's judgment.Humility is acknowledging our limitations, ignorance, and mistakes. This virtue, paradoxically, is a foundation for learning, which leads to knowledge and…

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The Individual Versus the Community

The Individual Versus the Community There is tension between living for our happiness and living for the benefit or happiness of others.  There is an eternal conflict between the needs and desires of the individual and those of the community. I struggled to determine which is most important, whether more of one means less of the other, and whether a middle ground is preferred. Each view has good arguments in…

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Virtues That Most Affected My Life: Moderation

Virtues That Most Affected My Life: Moderation Several virtues share a focus on self-control and balance in life. Moderation is perhaps the broadest. It is the term I prefer. For my purposes, moderation includes the classic virtues of temperance and continence. Temperance involves control over desires and avoiding excess. Continence often refers to controlling emotional responses. There are extensive writings on the meanings and subtle differences between these terms.“Moderation in…

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Determining Truth

Determine What is True How should we decide whether what we learn is true and should be used to guide our life? We take in lots of information but only some of it is true. Determining truth is not easy for broad principles about living and moral philosophy. There are no certain answers. At best there can be persuasive evidence that what is learned deserves inclusion in our philosophy of…

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Seek Knowledge and Wisdom

Seek Knowledge and Wisdom Wisdom is one of the four basic Stoic virtues. Wisdom requires knowledge. Wise people have knowledge and know how to apply it to living. But what is knowledge? What types of knowledge should we seek? Where should we seek knowledge and wisdom?Knowledge is information that true. Information comes from many sources – reading, the internet, classes, conversations with others, etc. Information becomes knowledge when we determine…

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Knowledge in DNA

The Knowledge in Our DNA DNA is a vast library to tap in the quest for knowledge and wisdom. Human DNA contains the results of millions of experiments over millions of years on how to thrive – or at least how to survive. The results can help us understand our nature, our society, and what has worked in the past. Encoded in DNA is the knowledge to create complex life…

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Value of Adversity

The Value of Adversity We all want good fortune in our life. Who would wish for adversity for ourselves or anyone? We work to avoid bad things happening to us. Yet perhaps adversity is valuable, even necessary, for living well. Perhaps we should welcome it when it occurs.US Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts gave a commencement address making this case. Now the commencement speakers will typically also wish you good…

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How to Respond to Wrongdoing

How to respond to wrongdoing “Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill The Moral Problem I have found moral reasoning most challenging when responding to wrongdoing --…

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Lessons from the Stoics

Lessons from the Stoics The Stoics provide useful and practical principles and behaviors for living. Stoicism is an ancient philosophy created by the Greeks and Romans. Many of the original Stoic writers were not philosophers by profession but people who looked to philosophy as a means for becoming better people and living a good life. Perhaps the most famous Stoic, Marcus Aurelius, was a Roman emperor. His perennially popular book,…

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