Emplotting Virtue: A Narrative Approach to Environmental Virtue Ethics (SUNY series in Environmental Philosophy and Ethics)

A rich hermeneutic account of the way virtue is understood and developed. Despite its ancient roots, virtue ethics has only recently been fully appreciated as a resource for environmental philosophy. Other approaches dominated by utilitarian and duty-based appeals for sacrifice and restraint have had little success in changing behavior, even to the extent that ecological concerns have been embraced. Our actions often do not align with our beliefs. Fundamental to virtue ethics is an acknowledgment that neither good ethical rules nor good intentions are effective absent the character required to bring them to fulfillment. Brian Treanor builds on recent work on virtue ethics in environmental philosophy, finding an important grounding in the narrative theory of philosophers like Paul Ricoeur and Richard Kearney. Character and ethical formation, Treanor argues, are intimately tied to our relationship with the narratives through which we view the human place in the natural world. By reframing environmental questions in terms of individual, social, and environmental narratives about flourishing, Emplotting Virtue offers a powerful vision of how we might remake our character so as to live more happily, more sustainably, and more virtuously in a diverse, beautiful, wondrous, and fragile world. Brian Treanor is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Environmental Studies at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, Calif. Publisher's note Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 1 Just What Sort of Person Would Do That? 14 Introduction 14 Moral Reasoning in Contemporary Ethics 18 Virtue Ethics 28 2 Virtue Ethics and Environmental Virtue Ethics 38 Virtue and Flourishing 39 Acquiring Virtue 41 The Middle Way 44 Emotion and Action 47 Virtue and the Environment 50 The Resurgence of Interest in Virtue Ethics 50 Environmental Virtue Ethics 51 The Advantages of Virtue Ethics 52 3 Virtue: A Constellation of Concerns 58 Virtue and Living Well 58 What Is Virtue? 58 Teleology 63 A Typology of Virtue: Individual, Social, and Environmental 67 “Individual” Virtue: Temperance 70 “Social” Virtue: Courtesy 71 “Environmental” Virtue: Holistic Thinking 72 4 A Story of Simplicity: A Case Study in Virtue 76 The Scope of Simplicity: More Than Material Restraint 77 Business/Busyness 79 Needs and Wants 80 Thinking 82 The Scope of Simplicity: A ‘Comprehensive’ Virtue 84 Simplicity and the Individual 84 Simplicity and the Community 90 Simplicity and the Environment 94 Thoreau’s Narrative 98 5 The Challenge of Postmodernity 100 The Imprecision and Variability of Virtue Ethics 100 The Postmodern Condition 102 Globalization 103 Postmodernity 106 Postmodern Temptations: Hamlet’s Indecision and Meursault’s Indifference 107 Shades of Relativism 108 “Postmodern” Virtue Ethics 112 Nussbaum’s Neo-Aristotelian Defense and the Capabilities Approach 113 Naturalism and Sandler’s Pluralistic Teleological Account 115 MacIntyre and the Conflict of Traditions 117 6 Narrative Theory: Stories and Our Lives 122 Paul Ricoeur and Narrative Identity 123 Narrative Refiguration: Stories that Change Our Lives 126 Richard Kearney and Narrative Epiphanies 129 Martha Nussbaum and the Judicious Spectator 135 Love’s Knowledge 135 Poetic Justice 142 Wayne Booth and Coduction 144 Objections: The Return of Relativism and the Excesses of Imagination 150 Narrative Cannot Replace Experience 150 Narrative Exacerbates Relativism 151 Narrative Distorts Reality 157 Facts, not Fictions, Should be the Basis for Judging and Acting 162 7 Narrative Environmental Virtue Ethics 168 Introduction: Ethical Formation and Reformation 168 Ethical Education: Motivation and Transmission 174 Motivation 174 Transmission 178 Ethical Experimentation: Discernment and Understanding 182 Discernment 182 Understanding 184 Ethical Formation: Application and Cultivation 188 All Habituation Employs Narrative 189 Narratives Shape Belief, and Belief Shapes Action 191 8 Epilogue: The “Narrative Goodness” Approach 198 The Need for Virtue Ethics and the Need for Narrative 198 How to Story Well: Principles for the Good Use of Narrative 201 Three Important Clarifications 204 The Valued and the Valuable 204 Reason 206 Truth, Reality, and Fact 207 The Literature of Life: A Life Worth Living, a Story Worth Telling 209 Notes 212 Index 252 1. Just What Sort Of Person Would Do That? -- Introduction -- Moral Reasoning In Contemporary Ethics -- Virtue Ethics -- 2.virtue Ethics And Environmental Virtue Ethics -- Virtue And Flourishing -- The Middle Way -- Emotion And Action -- Virtue And The Environment -- 3.virtue: A Constellation Of Concerns -- Virtue And Living Well -- A Typology Of Virtue: Individual, Social, And Environmental -- 4.a Story Of Simplicity: A Case Study In Virtue -- The Scope Of Simplicity: More Than Material Restraint -- The Scope Of Simplicity: A 'comprehensive' Virtue -- Thoreau's Narrative 5.the Challenge Of Postmodernity -- The Imprecision And Variability Of Virtue Ethics -- The Postmodern Condition -- Postmodern Temptations: Hamlet's Indecision And Meursault's Indifference -- Postmodern Virtue Ethics -- 6.narrative Theory: Stories And Our Lives -- Paul Ricoeur And Narrative Identity -- Richard Kearney And Narrative Epiphanies -- Martha Nussbaum And The Judicious Spectator -- Wayne Booth And Coduction -- Objections: The Return Of Relativism And The Excesses Of Imagination 7.narrative Environmental Virtue Ethics -- Introduction: Ethical Formation And Reformation -- Ethical Education: Motivation And Transmission -- Ethical Experimentation: Discernment And Understanding -- Ethical Formation: Application And Cultivation -- 8.epilogue: The Narrative Goodness Approach -- The Need For Virtue Ethics And The Need For Narrative -- Three Important Clarifications -- The Literature Of Life: A Life Worth Living, A Story Worth Telling. Brian Treanor. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. __A rich hermeneutic account of the way virtue is understood and developed.__Despite its ancient roots, virtue ethics has only recently been fully appreciated as a resource for environmental philosophy. Other approaches dominated by utilitarian and duty-based appeals for sacrifice and restraint have had little success in changing behavior, even to the extent that ecological concerns have been embraced. Our actions often do not align with our beliefs. Fundamental to virtue ethics is an acknowledgment that neither good ethical rules nor good intentions are effective absent the character required to bring them to fulfillment. Brian Treanor builds on recent work on virtue ethics in environmental philosophy, finding an important grounding in the narrative theory of philosophers like Paul Ricoeur and Richard Kearney. Character and ethical formation, Treanor argues, are intimately tied to our relationship with the narratives through which we view the human place in the natural world. By reframing environmental questions in terms of individual, social, and environmental narratives about flourishing, __Emplotting Virtue__ offers a powerful vision of how we might remake our character so as to live more happily, more sustainably, and more virtuously in a diverse, beautiful, wondrous, and fragile world Despite its ancient roots, virtue ethics has only recently been fully appreciated as a resource for environmental philosophy. Other approaches dominated by utilitarian and duty-based appeals for sacrifice and restraint have had little success in changing behavior, even to the extent that ecological concerns have been embraced. Our actions often do not align with our beliefs. Fundamental to virtue ethics is an acknowledgment that neither good ethical rules nor good intentions are effective absent the character required to bring them to fulfillment. Brian Treanor builds on recent work on virtue ethics in environmental philosophy, finding an important grounding in the narrative theory of philosophers like Paul Ricoeur and Richard Kearney. Character and ethical formation, Treanor argues, are intimately tied to our relationship with the narratives through which we view the human place in the natural world. By reframing environmental questions in terms of individual, social, and environmental narratives about flourishing, Emptotting Virtue offers a powerful vision of how we might remake our character so as to live more happily, more sustainably, and more virtuously in a diverse, beautiful, wondrous, and fragile world. Book jacket