In Search of Virtue

The assassination of Charlie Kirk and the recent school shootings in Minnesota and Colorado has put a focus on the vitriol and violence we see too often these days. And both social media and the mainstream media put forth many causes for the violence.

Reflecting on the causes

People tend to filter their conclusions through their own experience, which is only natural.  In reflecting on many years of being in positions where I have had to deal with many of society’s problems – such as in military readiness, public safety, crime and delinquency, drug abuse prevention, and abortion, to name just a few – some conclusions emerge.

My conclusions come from real world experience of being on the ground, as opposed to those of the many talking head pundits who express armchair opinions.  My overall conclusion is that I have seen a shift in political discourse, and, for want of a better term, “public morality.”

As with heart disease from hardening of the arteries, so, too, has our political discourse become “hardened.” There seems to be very little middle ground that allows any kind of dialogue, discussion, or reasoned argumentation.

At the same time, many peoples moral compasses seem broken.  Many today think that they are victims and feel offended when no offense is intended.  And many think they are entitled to unlimited rights.  For such people, these feelings and thoughts are their true north.  For them, moral relativism without recognizing any absolute behavior prohibitions or boundaries, moderated by the natural law or the law of God, is becoming the norm. It is how they achieve their own “personal justice.”

As we see in the transgender movement, realty now bends to fit one’s personal feelings.  Social media, video games, and AI all contribute a false sense of what is real and true.

Those same vehicles have ingrained a desensitization to violence, especially among the young. Being angry and “getting even” is becoming a modus operandi seen in both the political realm and in daily living experiences. Both social and mainstream media contribute to this through a constant barrage of “talking heads” emoting their prejudices and grievances.

The bottom line is that the dark side of human nature now has free reign. What psychologists call “impulse control” is off the radar screen for many.

What we are losing

John Adams’ often quoted statement provides a truth that underpins a foundation for a civil society. He said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other,”

This morality has absolute prohibitions, especially in the arena of disagreements and personal and political judgments, that may involve position compromises. But by disregarding those absolutes one can persuade oneself to do evil things with a clear conscience.

Moral absolutes also relate to the notion of human virtues, often called character strengths. These virtues are behaviors that set boundaries for good people.  Historically, the natural law, Greek philosophy and the Judeo-Christian ethic has highly valued virtue.

Virtues

Over the centuries, philosophers, theologians and secular institutions have elaborated on virtues based on human experience.

The most familiar virtues are the seven heavenly virtues.  The four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude, along with the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity make up the seven heavenly virtues.

There are also the seven capital virtues (in opposition to the seven deadly sins), defined as chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness, patience, and humility.

Over the years, within the field of psychology, character strengths such as gratitude, forgiveness, self-control, and compassion have been added to the list of important virtues to emulate.

In a more secular realm, we also have the kind of virtues such as those defined in the Boy Scout oath. Today’s Boy Scouts, unfortunately, have come under much scrutiny for child abuse and other issues. But irrespective of the Boy Scouts current status, its traditional framework of the Scout oath and the traits in the Scout law offer a lesson in “virtue development.”  The scout oath is:

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
To obey the scout law
To help others at all times
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight

It may sound “corny” to some but the theme in that oath is about duty, obligations and restraint – all key factors in responsible citizenship.

A culture at risk

So where do we learn to practice and apply such virtues? Historically, it has been through the schools, the family, and the churches.  But today, all of these institutions are losing influence on our moral (virtue) development and practice.

Schools, especially higher education, appear to now be bastions of relativism. They mute any focus on absolutes such as virtues.  Many families are also suffering from divorce and fatherless children, both of which provide an environment that’s not conducive for virtue development.

Formal religion provides a moral and ethical framework for operating in the world especially within a community. Associated with that are expectations and obligations. Churches can serve as a mitigating factor to the deficiencies seen in the schools and families.

However, the many religious surveys show a decreased religiosity among Americans that is tied to a specific religion and moral codes. This transformation of lessened influence has had a serious impact on virtue development.

We are becoming a virtue-less culture. If John Adams was right (which I think he was) what we are experiencing should not be a surprise.

Moving forward

Given the conclusions perceived from my experience, I raise the question, what’s the answer?

I wonder, given the conclusions drawn from my own experience, how can society regain a sense of virtue.  I believe gun control laws, speech regulations, and so forth, will do little to solve the problems of unrestrained violence we see on our schools and streets. It’s a challenge to develop, for want of a better term, a virtue development culture.

While there is not a quick and easy fix, a place to start is with our faith.  We need to loudly proclaim the Christian message emphasizing the 10 commandments, the beatitudes, the lessons of Jesus’ parables, and Jesus’ commandment to love God and neighbor.  This is a message that we can do better by acting better.

The Christian message and ethic emphasizes the virtues.  And we have virtuous role models to follow, from Jesus to the Apostles, to the saints.  A renewed evangelization can hopefully influence the culture. Church sponsored efforts such as the Eucharistic Revival of the last several years are examples.

Our faith can, in turn, can inspire schools and families toward virtue cultivation to help bring out our better angels. I would like to think that John Adams (as well as others of the founding fathers) would look favorably on the needed faith based efforts.

“Do not conform yourself to this age, but be transformed by the renewal
of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good
and pleasing and perfect” Romans 12:2.