Virtue, for the ancient Greeks, is not a goal in and of itself; it is a route to a well-lived life. According to them, a person would flourish and would come to a life filled with meaning and find enduring happiness by being honest and generous, embodying diligence and fortitude, and showing restraint and kindness. This view hasn’t changed much until today.
If it’s true that virtue leads to a life well lived – a view that receives more empirical backing with each passing year – the question “How do I become virtuous?” takes on a bit of urgency. For the majority of ethicists, both ancient and modern, the answer is clear: virtue comes from living an examined life, one where deep deliberation leads to the embrace of noble qualities such as honesty and generosity, no matter how difficult it can be to enact them.
In considering moral character, the Roman orator Cicero said: ‘Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.’ And while I think it’s an overstatement, Cicero’s view does offer up the tantalising prospect that, simply by cultivating gratitude, other virtues will grow. If correct, it suggests that there’s an entirely different way to improve moral character – one that is rapid, easy and efficient.
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What are your thoughts on this one? Do you agree with Cicero?
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