by\u00a0Wei Jing HO<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0Sunday, 20 October 2024, 11:14 AM<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Number of replies: 3<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As I go through Unit 5, I felt this is the most human-centered aspect of the studies so far. It is also thought provoking in how virtues can be broken down to the \u201cmind\u201d aspect (Intellectual Virtues – of which Epistemic Virtues appeared to be a subset e.g., intellectual courage)<\/em> vs. the \u201cheart\u201d aspect (Moral Virtues e.g., courage to do the right thing – going against majority consensus etc.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The entwining of the \u201cMind\u201d and \u201cHeart\u201d to shape the character of the human through the virtues they embodied, it appears to be difficult to define which comes first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While logically speaking the \u201cMind\u201d leads to the \u201cHeart\u201d because our thoughts \/ styles of thinking influence our behaviours thus shaping our character e.g., To have Empathy<\/strong> (I will define this as a Moral Virtue) <- You must first be Open-Minded<\/strong> (I will define this as Intellectual Virtue)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, at times the \u201cHeart\u201d is what cultivates the \u201cMind\u201d. Let me provide a personal observation of when Moral Virtue(s) have aided in the development of Intellectual Virtue(s).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have operated in environments with very smart people (medical school and research institutes). <\/em>A lot of the smartest tend to be more logical and rational, letting their Minds guide their Hearts. (This is my own observation and opinion)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I have also taught children who are considered to have lower academic capabilities (vocational schools)<\/em>. For the \u201clow academic\u201d kids, if you delve into their stories, a number of them are from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n [1] fragmented families e.g., raised by single parents, divorced parents each with different families and a lot of step siblings, or<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n [2] struggling families e.g., family member (or even themselves) dealing with chronic illness, special needs siblings who took up all of the families\u2019 attention and resources<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A number of this demographic of students – through observations are identified as \u201csmart\u201d kids, however their environment and burdens do have certain impact in their ability to study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is however always a handful that put up a valiant struggle against their circumstances. They may not be the smartest (some are)<\/em>, but they are almost always more matured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They took up part time jobs after school to supplement their parent(s)\u2019 income; take care of their siblings while their parents are at work; juggling their studies at the same time. Or they could be coming from the angle that they have strong emotions against their parents because they separated, as such the kids wanted to do their best to be independent faster – to reach that goal, they need to graduate with good achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their sense of Fairness<\/strong> and\/or Justice<\/strong>\/Integrity<\/strong> for their families or themselves (I will define these as Moral Virtues)<\/em> drives them to do more, to not give up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their academic grades will overtime stay within the average or even high GPA zones even considering their barriers, as opposed to those who just give up due to their starting points in life. They tend to work with the adults, securing what opportunities they can to have a successful graduation. Because they remain open to being taught, Intellectual Virtues such as Wisdom<\/strong> and Creativity<\/strong> specific to their domains, can be instilled in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this instance, it appears the Moral Virtues drives the slow and gradual cultivation of the Intellectual Virtues. Because their Moral Virtue(s) enabled them to hold on long enough to build themselves up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which Comes First – Intellectual Virtues or Moral Virtues?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n This might not be the best question, but it helped to understand deeper that both virtues work hand in hand to create and shape a balanced human being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps if we are to dive deeper, some virtues may allow others to bloom – acting as a \u201cfoundation\u201d, while there could be \u201cadvanced\u201d virtues which can only be shaped into being through the combination of multiple \u201cfoundation\u201d virtues from Intellectual and Moral domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n by\u00a0James Carmichael<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0Wednesday, 23 October 2024, 11:08 AM<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wei Jing, thanks a lot for sharing this. I mentor teens and young adults and a lot of what you write here resonates with me; if we table academic aptitude as an important but not solely determinative factor, I’ve repeatedly observed that teens who outperform the stereotyped expectations of someone in their circumstances are operating from some reserve of what you’re calling “moral virtues”–the source of which I can sometimes guess at, but sometimes not–which set of virtues then has helped them cultivate various “intellectual virtues”. I’m not suggesting that we’ve hit upon this as *the order* or anything like that; just that your account of this being one way that this stuff can work resonated with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of my takeaways from this is to have high expectations for all of the kids that I work with. I acknowledge that not all of them will meet those expectations, that there may be limited things *I* can do to help them reach those expectations, and that there is a limited–sometimes very limited; it depends–extent to which it’s my role to *push* them towards those expectations, rather than supporting them in whatever expectations *they* have settled on. But, all the same, I still assume high expectations on the basis that the deciding factor for some kids doesn’t seem to be a set of cultivated “intellectual virtues”, as we’re using the terms, but rather some characterological posture or attitude, some “moral virtues”, from which other positive developments arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nRe: Which Comes First – Intellectual Virtues or Moral Virtues?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nRe: Which Comes First – Intellectual Virtues or Moral Virtues?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n