Virtue and Psychology: Pursuing Excellence in Ordinary Practices
Fowers, B. J. (2005). Virtue and Psychology: Pursuing Excellence in Ordinary Practices. Washington, DC: APA Press.
Virtue and
Psychology: Pursuing Excellence in Ordinary Practices issues a clarion call for
psychologists and other mental health professionals to recognize the reality of
virtue in social interaction. Virtues are character strengths such as
generosity, loyalty, and honesty-that make it possible for people to pursue
worthwhile goals. The author explores the current terrain of psychology, a
field that actively avoids discussion of virtue while it implicitly endorses values
such as independence and mastery. Some of these implied values derive from and
feed into the individualism and instrumentalism of modern cultures, often to
the detriment of individual and communal well-being. Virtue and Psychology
describes an alternative framework that not only acknowledges virtue, but also
shows how values that we already hold in common may be incorporated into
psychological practice, and into our lives as a whole. Indeed, according to the
virtue ethics framework proposed in this book, professional and personal lives
cannot be separated at least if one is to lead the best possible existence.
From the Author: It differs
from most discussions of virtue in that it focuses on the good and on practical
wisdom rather than a list of particular virtues. The first half of the book is
on the good and the second half focuses on practical wisdom. I structure the
book this way because 1) virtues are defined as character strengths that make
it possible to pursue what is good, and 2) as Aristotle said, if you have
virtue you have practical wisdom and if you have practical wisdom you have
virtue.