Education and Philosophies of Engagement (
2014)
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Abstract
Many philosophies of engagement build upon pedagogical, metaphysical, epistemological and ethical frameworks, particularly Virtue Ethics frameworks. However, a glance at the literature suggests that there are many debates
about the nature, meaning, value and application of such things. In this paper, I will
look at some recent empirical work (particularly in neuroscience) on virtues. I will argue that not only do such (empirical) studies enrich and deepen our understanding
of virtues and indeed of virtue ethics; when combined with a reinterpretation of some
key parts of virtue ethics, drawn from Aristotle, it may be possible to respond coherently to some well-‐known “misgivings” about virtue ethics (and indeed its range
of possible applications in education), namely that 1) ‘the previous history of virtue-‐educational initiatives does not augur well for the prospects of future ones’; 2) ‘the
study of virtue and character lacks a clear empirical methodology’; 3) ‘we know very
little about the impact of previous interventions in this field.’(Kristjánsson, 2013) It may
also make possible a more cogent explanation of the place of eudaimonia, if any, in modern (higher) education.