Tamar Gendler (Yale) Self-Regulation: A Recipe Book for Foragers
Location: Jurow Hall, 100 Washington Square East,
Time: 7–9 pm
What does it feel like to act virtuously? The western philosophical tradition offers two competing answers to this question. The first, commonly associated with Aristotle, tells us that virtuous actions should feel automatic and effortless; they are the result of long-term cultivation of character and habit. The second, commonly (and perhaps mistakenly) associated with Kant, tells us that virtuous actions involve effortfully overcoming inclinations to the contrary; they are the result of explicitly willing the correct action in the particular circumstance. Which of these pictures more accurately depicts real-life virtuous agents? Drawing on recent work in developmental, cognitive and social psychology, as well as historical and contemporary work in western philosophy, this talk offers reasons for thinking that the original dichotomy is mistaken, and that both pictures offer important insights on the nature and value of self-regulation.