Virtues as Skills in Virtue Epistemology

Journal of Philosophical Research 38:333-348 (2013)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

One approach to understanding moral virtues is to compare them with practical skills, since both involve learning how to act well. This paper inquires whether this approach can be extended to intellectual virtues. The relevance of the analogy between virtues and skills for virtue epistemology can be seen in two prominent discussions of intellectual virtues and skills. Linda Zagzebski has argued that intellectual virtues can be modeled on moral virtues, and that a key component of virtue being understood as a “success” term is that virtues are associated with skills. However, she explicitly rejects the stronger claim that virtues can be understood as skills. Julia Annas defends the idea that virtues are skills, and she uses this conception of virtue to argue that Zagzebski’s project fails because of a key difference between the two types of virtue. This paper argues that a skill model of virtue can support modeling intellectual virtues on ethical virtues, contrary to the claims made by Zagzebski and Annas. There are a variety of misconceptions about skills that have led to errors in both of their discussions. The Dreyfus account of skill acquisition and current psychological research on expertise will help to correct these errors.

Other Versions

No versions found

Similar books and articles

Ethical Expertise: The Skill Model of Virtue.Matt Stichter - 2007 - Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 10 (2):183-194.
Practical Skills and Practical Wisdom in Virtue.Matt Stichter - 2016 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 94 (3):435-448.
Virtues as Skills, and The Virtues of Self-Regulation.Matt Stichter - 2021 - Journal of Value Inquiry 55 (2):355-369.
Are Moral and Intellectual Virtues Distinct?Heather Battaly - 2018 - Proceedings of the XXIII World Congress of Philosophy 68:23-27.
Aristotle and Expertise: Ideas on the Skillfulness of Virtue.Noell Birondo - 2021 - Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 24 (2):599-609.
What Are the Virtues of Virtue Epistemology?Heather Dawn Battaly - 2000 - Dissertation, Syracuse University
Virtue epistemology and the epistemology of virtue.Paul Bloomfield - 2000 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 60 (1):23-43.

Analytics

Added to PP
2013-07-22

Downloads
2,137 (#6,770)

6 months
254 (#12,869)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Matt Stichter
Washington State University

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references