In the Homeric account of the virtues — and in heroic societies more generally — the exercise of a virtue exhibits qualities which are required… Read More »Alasdair MacIntyre on virtue and practices (1): What is a practice?
Social agreeableness – being able to get along with other people, being “low friction” – is a sort-of-virtue. It’s a helpful enabler of community and… Read More »Agreeableness and amiability
Cardinal, from the Latin cardo, meaning “hinge”, because these are (according to Aristotle and others) the virtues (arete or “excellences”) on which a good life… Read More »Aristotle’s cardinal virtues
Different Choose well. See also: Champion, or Ways to Win (1)Champion (2)World without ends (on infinite games)Samo Burja: Live and Dead PlayersC. Thi Nguyen: Games,… Read More »Different leagues
Without … a place in the social order, a man [in a heroic society such as Homeric Greece or Saga Iceland] would not only be… Read More »Ends and Meanings (3): Alasdair MacIntyre virtue, mortality and story in heroic societies
The work necessary to maintain peace Change Your education The education of other people, old and new Work to improve and maintain public health The… Read More »As Long As It Takes (3): Things Which By Their Nature Are Never Finished
This is not to say that you can’t or shouldn’t affect the speed at which these things happen – just that when you’ve done what… Read More »As Long As It Takes (2): Things That Take As Long As They Take (and which you can’t or don’t want to rush)
We speed addicts must crash to earth. We have to give up. You surrender to the reality that things just take the time they take,… Read More »As Long As It Takes (1): Oliver Burkeman on Patience
You might have heard the following quote by Samuel Johnson (recorded 1775): “Courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has… Read More »Dark Counterpart
You heard it first from Thucidides. Now here’s Smith: Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the… Read More »Adam Smith on emergent opulence: peace, easy taxes and justice