Abstract
In this paper I respond to Edward Harcourt’s suggestion that human excellences
are structured in a way that allows us to see the multiplicity of life forms that can be instantiated by different groups of excellences. I accept this layered (as he calls it) model, but suggest that Harcourt’s proposal is not pluralistic enough, and offer three critical points. First, true pluralism would need to take a life-cycle view, thus taking into account plurality within, as well as between, lives. Second, Harcourt’s pluralism still posits physical health as a requirement for excellence, whereas I claim that the challenges of illness give more, not less, opportunity for excellence. Third, I make a more general claim that in certain salient cases (illness being one of them) it is precisely the absence of excellence that can facilitate virtue.
are structured in a way that allows us to see the multiplicity of life forms that can be instantiated by different groups of excellences. I accept this layered (as he calls it) model, but suggest that Harcourt’s proposal is not pluralistic enough, and offer three critical points. First, true pluralism would need to take a life-cycle view, thus taking into account plurality within, as well as between, lives. Second, Harcourt’s pluralism still posits physical health as a requirement for excellence, whereas I claim that the challenges of illness give more, not less, opportunity for excellence. Third, I make a more general claim that in certain salient cases (illness being one of them) it is precisely the absence of excellence that can facilitate virtue.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 237-253 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume |
| Volume | 90 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 28 Jun 2016 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2016 |
| Event | Joint session of the Aristotelian Society and Mind Association (2016) - Cardiff University, Cardiff , United Kingdom Duration: 8 Jul 2016 → 10 Jul 2016 https://www.aristoteliansociety.org.uk/the-joint-session/the-2016-joint-session/ |
Research Groups and Themes
- Centre for Humanities Health and Science
Keywords
- Virtue
- FASD
- vulnerability
- illness
- virtue in defect
- excellence
Access to Document
- Full-text PDF (final published version)
This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via Oxford University Press at https://doi.org/10.1093/arisup/akw006. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.