I was thinking of how philosophy is answering the question “What is a virtuous life?” And the response of some people is “Why do you want to live a virtuous life?” They think that the only reason we have morals or principles is because of religion or laws.
That seems in line with the Aristotelian notion of "virtue ethics," which also describes the importance of virtues in "human flourishing." And that seems aligned with the idea of increasing resilience.
Incidentally, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics describes a virtue as a "mean (or middle) state" between two vices: one of deficiency and one of excess. For example, courage is a virtue between cowardice (deficiency) and rashness (excess).
I just think it's interesting that "becoming more virtuous" in this context means tending to a middle state rather than excessive action, which is what modern society trends towards in a desperate attempt to signal one's virtues.
That seems in line with the Aristotelian notion of "virtue ethics," which also describes the importance of virtues in "human flourishing." And that seems aligned with the idea of increasing resilience.
Incidentally, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics describes a virtue as a "mean (or middle) state" between two vices: one of deficiency and one of excess. For example, courage is a virtue between cowardice (deficiency) and rashness (excess).
I just think it's interesting that "becoming more virtuous" in this context means tending to a middle state rather than excessive action, which is what modern society trends towards in a desperate attempt to signal one's virtues.