Liberalism and Aristotelianism: Reflecting on Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11240%2F25%3A10499268" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11240/25:10499268 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=.V6WP3sKS" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=.V6WP3sKS</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.12681/cjp.38547" target="_blank" >10.12681/cjp.38547</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Liberalism and Aristotelianism: Reflecting on Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue

Original language description

Alasdair MacIntyre marks liberalism as a key opponent standing in opposition to an Aristotelian virtue ethics framework, and of the ability of communities to base a way of life around virtues centered upon man&apos;s telos and what makes a good human life. This paper will argue that this does not need to be the case by citing how classical liberal political aims of decentralization of power and federalism can promote the efforts of communities attempting to build a culture with a focus on inculcating virtue through the lens of an Aristotelian sense of telos. MacIntyre himself acknowledges the vast differences in definitions of the virtues across cultures throughout history, and how there is unlikely to be any moral consensus. This paper will look at examples from the United States of America&apos;s early history, as well as the modern example of the European Union, to illustrate samples of societies inculcating and guarding a traditional worldview within a decentralized political environment. The liberal political aim of decentralization of power provides more autonomy to local communities, including allowing those communities to build their own culture with a focus on forming a society interested in answering the question of what a good human life consists of. This paper will argue that it is precisely the liberal individualism that MacIntyre decries as a foe to Aristotelian teleology that provides an avenue for those interested in restoring Aristotelian virtue ethics to thrive.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

60301 - Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Conatus - Journal of Philosophy

ISSN

2653-9373

e-ISSN

2459-3842

Volume of the periodical

10

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GR - GREECE

Number of pages

15

Pages from-to

57-71

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105011375015