The Baha'i Studies Listserv
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_Politics_(book)
I was on Wikipedia. It somehow led to the article above by either clicking
random page or click articles links.
Morality, justice, child development mean different things to different people
in the quotes below. Virtues as well.
They can mean different things to different people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_(virtue)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prudence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperance_(virtue)
Prudence and virtue
Seneca, the Roman Stoic, said that perfect prudence is indistinguishable from
perfect virtue. Thus, in considering all consequences, a prudent person would
act in the same way as a virtuous person.[citation needed] The same rationale
was expressed by Plato in Meno, when he wrote that people only act in ways that
they perceive will bring them maximum good. It is the lack of wisdom that
results in the making of a bad choice instead of a prudent one. In this way,
wisdom is the central part of virtue. Plato realized that because virtue was
synonymous with wisdom it could be taught, a possibility he had earlier
discounted. He then added correct belief as an alternative to knowledge,
proposing that knowledge is merely correct belief that has been thought through
and tethered.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue
The proposed solution: a metaphorical model
Lakoff tries to resolve these difficulties through a model in which liberals
and conservatives are shown to have different and contradictory worldviews.
These worldviews are thought to conflict in a number of ways relevant to the
understanding of politics. Nonetheless, Lakoff claims that all of these
differences center around the two sides' respective understandings of a single
concept - the ideal nuclear family.
The family is central to Lakoff because he views the family as Americans most
common model for understanding the country; that is Americans often
metaphorically understand their country as a family, with the government
corresponding to the parent(s) of the family and the individual citizens
corresponding to the children. Thus, one's understanding of how a family is
best organized will have direct implications for how the country should be
governed.
Liberals' ideal conceptualization follows the model of the nurturant parent
family, while Conservatives' follow the model of the strict father family.
Given the importance of these concepts in Moral Politics, it is important to
consider their meaning along with how each view suggests and is justified by a
corresponding view of the nature of child rearing, morality, and justice.
A nurturant parent family is one that revolves around every family member
caring for and being cared for by every other family member, with open
communication between all parties, and with each family member pursuing their
own vision of happiness. The nurturant parent model is also correlated with the
following views:
Morality: The basis of morality is in understanding, respecting, and helping
other people, and in seeking the happiness of one's self and of others. The
primary vices are selfishness and anti-social behavior.
Child development: Children develop morality primarily through interacting with
and observing good people, especially good parents. Punishment is necessary in
some cases, but also has the potential to backfire, causing children to adopt
more violent or more anti-social ways. Though children should, in general, obey
their parents, they will develop best if allowed to question their parents'
decisions, to hear justifications for their parents' rules, and so on. Moral
development is a lifelong process, and almost no one is so perfect as not to
need improvement.
Justice: The world is not without justice, but it is far from the ideal of
justice. Many people, for example, do not seem properly rewarded for their hard
work and dedication. We must work hard to improve everyone's condition.
In contrast, the strict father family revolves around the idea that parents
teach their children how to be self-reliant and self-disciplined through tough
love. This is correlated with the following views:
Morality: Evil is all around us, constantly tempting us. Thus, the basis of
morality is strong moral character, which requires self-reliance and
self-discipline. The primary vices are those that dissolve self-discipline,
such as laziness, gluttony, and indulgent sexuality.
Child development: Children develop self-discipline, self-reliance, and other
virtues primarily through rewards and punishment, a system of tough love.
Since parents know the difference between right and wrong and children still do
not, obedience to the parents is very important. Moral development basically
lasts only as long as childhood; it's important to get it right the first time,
because there is no second chance.
Justice: The
