Virtues

  Zelalem Mekonnen revised idea #3261. The revision addresses idea #3276.

What happens when you fail to commit to these values?

I think forgiveness could be another core value. Something like 'when I make mistakes, I will pick myself up at the earliest possible time and keep going.'

What happens when you fail to commit to these values?

I think forgiving yourself could be another core value. Something like 'when I make mistakes, I will pick myself up at the earliest possible time and keep going.'

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #3261.

What happens when you fail to commit to these values?

I think forgiveness could be another core value. Something like 'when I make mistakes, I will pick myself up at the earliest possible time and keep going.'

#3261·Dennis Hackethal revised 11 days ago

Based on what you write in #3270, it sounds like you’re talking specifically about forgiving oneself, not forgiveness in general.

  Benjamin Davies criticized idea #3264.

Nice, thanks.

Thinking about it some more, I wonder if honesty is more fundamental than some of the other virtues. As I’ve written elsewhere, honesty includes the refusal to ignore certain criticisms. That’s a prerequisite of rationality. Whereas justice, for example, seems downstream of rationality.

#3264·Dennis Hackethal, 11 days ago

Is “the refusal to ignore certain criticisms” not a case of treating ideas justly?

  Benjamin Davies criticized idea #3264.

Nice, thanks.

Thinking about it some more, I wonder if honesty is more fundamental than some of the other virtues. As I’ve written elsewhere, honesty includes the refusal to ignore certain criticisms. That’s a prerequisite of rationality. Whereas justice, for example, seems downstream of rationality.

#3264·Dennis Hackethal, 11 days ago

I’m having trouble with the idea that honesty is a prerequisite of rationality. This seems to imply honesty somehow comes before rationality.

I think it is more accurate to say rationality and honesty are interdependent, and from there you can deduce that rationality depends on honesty (in a way that maybe it doesn’t depend on justice).

  Zelalem Mekonnen addressed criticism #3263.

I think forgiveness could be another core value. Something like 'when I make mistakes, I will pick myself up at the earliest possible time and keep going.'

This sound like it’s meant to be an example of forgiveness, but I’m not sure it is. It sounds more like an example of resilience.

What do you think forgiveness means, @zelalem-mekonnen?

#3263·Dennis Hackethal, 11 days ago

One of the definitions from Merriam-Webster is 'to cease to feel resentment against (an offender).' Resilience is defined as 'an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.' When you fail against your own value, you are offending yourself.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on idea #3168.

Some quotes relating to your idea:

Rationality is man’s basic virtue, the source of all his other virtues... [It] means the recognition and acceptance of reason as one’s only source of knowledge, one’s only judge of values and one’s only guide to action.
— Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness, ch. 1

and

Since these virtues are expressions of rationality, they are logically interconnected... None can be validated in isolation... nor can a man practice any one of them consistently while defaulting on the others.
— Leonard Peikoff, Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, ch. 8

#3168·Benjamin DaviesOP, 14 days ago

Nice, thanks.

Thinking about it some more, I wonder if honesty is more fundamental than some of the other virtues. As I’ve written elsewhere, honesty includes the refusal to ignore certain criticisms. That’s a prerequisite of rationality. Whereas justice, for example, seems downstream of rationality.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #3261.

What happens when you fail to commit to these values?

I think forgiveness could be another core value. Something like 'when I make mistakes, I will pick myself up at the earliest possible time and keep going.'

#3261·Dennis Hackethal revised 11 days ago

I think forgiveness could be another core value. Something like 'when I make mistakes, I will pick myself up at the earliest possible time and keep going.'

This sound like it’s meant to be an example of forgiveness, but I’m not sure it is. It sounds more like an example of resilience.

What do you think forgiveness means, @zelalem-mekonnen?

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #3158.

Simplify language


What happens if and when you fails at the commitment to these values?

I think forgiveness could be another core value. Something like 'when I make mistakes, I will pick myself up at the earliest possible time and keep going. '

What happens when you fail to commit to these values?

I think forgiveness could be another core value. Something like 'when I make mistakes, I will pick myself up at the earliest possible time and keep going.'

  Dennis Hackethal addressed criticism #3169.

For something to be a core virtue, it needs to be a virtue that should always be applied in any situation where it can be applied. Forgiveness is not something that should be applied in relevant all situations, so I don’t believe it is a core virtue.

At best it would be an applied virtue, as an expression of Justice.

I actually think people are too forgiving in some ways.

I’ll think about adding it to the applied virtues list.

#3169·Benjamin DaviesOP revised 14 days ago

… in relevant all situations …

Typo/grammar

  Zelalem Mekonnen commented on criticism #3169.

For something to be a core virtue, it needs to be a virtue that should always be applied in any situation where it can be applied. Forgiveness is not something that should be applied in relevant all situations, so I don’t believe it is a core virtue.

At best it would be an applied virtue, as an expression of Justice.

I actually think people are too forgiving in some ways.

I’ll think about adding it to the applied virtues list.

#3169·Benjamin DaviesOP revised 14 days ago

No need to. That was a good refutation. I agree that people do forgive too much and forget to ask how that forgiveness is contributing to the problems they have. But, I think there is a kind of forgiveness, really justice, an honest version of it. Because you are fallible. Something like 'I messed up there, here is why I messed up, and here is what I am going to do so it won't happen again.' After that, you forgive yourself.

  Benjamin Davies revised criticism #3167.

Tidied up the language


For something to be a core virtue, I think it should be a virtue that should always be applied in any situation where it can be applied. Forgiveness is not something that should be applied in relevant all situations, so I don’t believe it is a core virtue.

At best it would be an applied virtue, as an expression of Justice.

I actually think people are too forgiving in some ways.

I’ll think about adding it to the applied virtues list.

For something to be a core virtue, it needs to be a virtue that should always be applied in any situation where it can be applied. Forgiveness is not something that should be applied in relevant all situations, so I don’t believe it is a core virtue.

At best it would be an applied virtue, as an expression of Justice.

I actually think people are too forgiving in some ways.

I’ll think about adding it to the applied virtues list.

  Benjamin Davies commented on idea #3154.

It’s interesting how connected these virtues are. Rationality, honesty, integrity, justice, all relate to each other or even fall out of each other. For example, you can’t be honest and irrational, you can’t be a rational liar (with some exceptions), you can’t be dishonest and conscientious, etc.

Maybe the underlying, most fundamental principle is rationality. Or maybe it’s the law of identity, and all of these virtues are different expressions of it. Not sure yet.

#3154·Dennis Hackethal, 14 days ago

Some quotes relating to your idea:

Rationality is man’s basic virtue, the source of all his other virtues... [It] means the recognition and acceptance of reason as one’s only source of knowledge, one’s only judge of values and one’s only guide to action.
— Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness, ch. 1

and

Since these virtues are expressions of rationality, they are logically interconnected... None can be validated in isolation... nor can a man practice any one of them consistently while defaulting on the others.
— Leonard Peikoff, Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, ch. 8

  Benjamin Davies criticized idea #3158.

What happens if and when you fails at the commitment to these values?

I think forgiveness could be another core value. Something like 'when I make mistakes, I will pick myself up at the earliest possible time and keep going. '

#3158·Zelalem Mekonnen, 14 days ago

For something to be a core virtue, I think it should be a virtue that should always be applied in any situation where it can be applied. Forgiveness is not something that should be applied in relevant all situations, so I don’t believe it is a core virtue.

At best it would be an applied virtue, as an expression of Justice.

I actually think people are too forgiving in some ways.

I’ll think about adding it to the applied virtues list.

  Benjamin Davies revised idea #3162.

My past revision brought back old comments but forgot to include the edit I made prior. Correcting that now.


Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions, and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “[M]oral ambitiousness”, as Ayn Rand puts it.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality in one’s life.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions, and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “[M]oral ambitiousness”, as Ayn Rand puts it.

  Benjamin Davies revised idea #3153. The revision addresses ideas #3148 and #3150.

Accidentally removed some valuable comments


Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions, and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “[M]oral ambitiousness”, as Ayn Rand puts it.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions, and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “[M]oral ambitiousness”, as Ayn Rand puts it.

  Benjamin Davies revised idea #3146. The revision addresses ideas #3148 and #3150.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “Moral ambitiousness” as Ayn Rand puts it.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality in one’s life.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “Moral ambitiousness” as Ayn Rand puts it.

  Zelalem Mekonnen commented on idea #3153.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions, and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “[M]oral ambitiousness”, as Ayn Rand puts it.

#3153·Dennis Hackethal revised 14 days ago

What happens if and when you fails at the commitment to these values?

I think forgiveness could be another core value. Something like 'when I make mistakes, I will pick myself up at the earliest possible time and keep going. '

  Dennis Hackethal commented on idea #3153.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions, and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “[M]oral ambitiousness”, as Ayn Rand puts it.

#3153·Dennis Hackethal revised 14 days ago

It’s interesting how connected these virtues are. Rationality, honesty, integrity, justice, all relate to each other or even fall out of each other. For example, you can’t be honest and irrational, you can’t be a rational liar (with some exceptions), you can’t be dishonest and conscientious, etc.

Maybe the underlying, most fundamental principle is rationality. Or maybe it’s the law of identity, and all of these virtues are different expressions of it. Not sure yet.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #3152.

Punctuation


Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “[M]oral ambitiousness” as Ayn Rand puts it.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions, and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “[M]oral ambitiousness”, as Ayn Rand puts it.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #3146.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “Moral ambitiousness” as Ayn Rand puts it.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “[M]oral ambitiousness” as Ayn Rand puts it.

  Dennis Hackethal revised criticism #3148.

… within their own lives.

Grammar. Do you mean ‘one’s own life’? Or simpler ‘one’s life’.

… within their own lives.

Grammar. Do you mean ‘one’s own life’? Or simpler ‘one’s life’ (which you say later on, “one's life and circumstances.”)

  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #3148.

… within their own lives.

Grammar. Do you mean ‘one’s own life’? Or simpler ‘one’s life’.

#3148·Dennis Hackethal, 14 days ago

Or even simpler, ‘in’ instead of ‘within’

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #3146.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “Moral ambitiousness” as Ayn Rand puts it.

#3146·Benjamin DaviesOP revised 14 days ago

… within their own lives.

Grammar. Do you mean ‘one’s own life’? Or simpler ‘one’s life’.

  Benjamin Davies revised idea #3089. The revision addresses ideas #3129, #3130, and #3131.

Thank you Dennis for your suggestions


Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's best ideas and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “Moral Ambitiousness” as Ayn Rand puts it.

Core Moral Virtues (influenced by Ayn Rand and CR)

  • Rationality: The commitment to the ongoing deliberate use of conjecture and criticism, and to only adopting ideas that have no pending criticisms.

  • Honesty: A refusal to evade one's thoughts, a commitment to searching for one's own errors, and a refusal to fake reality to others.

  • Integrity: The refusal to permit a breach between one's convictions and one's actions.

  • Independence: The acceptance of one's own mind as the first and final executor of rationality within their own lives.

  • Justice: The application of rationality in judging ideas, people, and actions and acting on those evaluations proportionately.

  • Productiveness: The application of rationality to sustaining and improving one's life and circumstances.

  • Pride: An insatiable drive to find and fix errors in one's character, knowledge, and creations. “Moral ambitiousness” as Ayn Rand puts it.

  Benjamin Davies addressed criticism #3128.

Is there overlap between conscientiousness and thoroughness? Is being thorough part of being conscientious?

#3128·Dennis Hackethal, 17 days ago

There is overlap but I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. Many virtues overlap. The purpose of identifying them is to draw focus to different aspects of virtuous as such. Conscientiousness and thoroughness are quite similar, but I think different enough to merit mentioning both.

Excellence and pride are more similar IMO, but I think that it is fine to feature both.