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UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Intellectual Virtue And UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Intellectual Virtue and Human Flourishing: An Explanation of the Intrinsic Value of the Intellectual Virtues A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy by Jeremy Vethan Gomer Committee in charge: Professor Georgios Anagnostopoulos, Chair Professor Saba Bazargan Professor Nicholas Christenfeld Professor Paul Churchland Professor Christine Harris 2015 © Jeremy Vethan Gomer, 2015 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of Jeremy Vethan Gomer is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Chair University of California, San Diego 2015 iii DEDICATION It is debated whether virtue is real or ideal but my wife whom I find most dear proves to me that virtue is most real. It is with gratitude that I dedicate this work to Mizu, whose virtues of love, loyalty, devotion, and kindness have blessed me with an abundance most ideal. iv EPIGRAPH The branch of philosophy we are dealing with at present is not purely theoretical like the others, because it is not in order to acquire knowledge that we are considering what virtue is, but to become good people – otherwise there would be no point in it. Aristotle v TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page.............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication.................................................................................................................................... iv Epigraph....................................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents....................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................... vii Vita................................................................................................................................................ ix Abstract of the Dissertation..................................................................................................... x Introduction................................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1: Virtue Epistemology.............................................................................................. 19 Chapter 2: Accounts of the Intellectual Virtues................................................................... 48 Chapter 3: Flourishing.............................................................................................................. 124 Chapter 4: A Eudaimonistic Virtue Epistemology.............................................................. 181 Conclusion................................................................................................................................. 221 References.................................................................................................................................. 224 vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first of all like to thank my advisor, Georgios Anagnostopoulos, who has been nothing short of amazing, both as a philosopher and as a human being. Through his patient and wise instruction, I have learned remarkably much about ancient philosophy, particularly about Aristotle and his conception of virtue, which probably would have forever remained obscure to me. One person in the philosophy department who has had the opportunity to observe many faculty and students over the years commented to me that Georgios was the most virtuous person in the department. And everything I have ever witnessed and experienced with him serves as confirmation of that fact. I am truly blessed in having him as my advisor. I am also very thankful and grateful to the rest of my committee for all that I have learned from them. I appreciate Paul Churchland volunteering his time in his retirement. I was fortunate to be a part of Paul’s last graduate seminar at UCSD, for our office hours talks in which we discussed the intersection between virtue epistemology and neuroscience, and for facilitating a positive atmosphere everywhere with his legendary kindness. I am thankful to Saba Bazargan, whom I have had a chance to take both a seminar with and to be a TA for. I am especially grateful for Saba’s clear instruction, especially since it helped me become a more well-rounded philosopher in ethics, as well as for being so supportive of those who work for him. If for some reason I were never able to pursue a PhD in philosophy, I would have chosen psychology instead. And I have Christine Harris and Nicholas Christenfeld to thank for that. At the time, I didn’t have much background in psychology, but Chris vii structured her class on the emotions in such a way so that it was accessible to all, and her clear and passionate instruction inspired me to learn more psychology. Sometimes I wonder whether Nicko is more of a psychologist or a philosopher, as his class on happiness included much of substance in both fields. I am astounded by his level of expertise in both areas and for teaching me about their many points of intersection. My teachers include more than just faculty though. I am honored to know and have worked with Nancy Guerrero, whose purity of heart is a testament to the real existence of saints. Catherine Asmann is a cornerstone of the philosophy department, without her the department would have shut down a long time ago. I have also learned significantly from many of the students I have taught, a few of whom I still remain in contact with, and I am happy to have met them. Last but not least I would like to thank my family. My wife, Mizu, was so loving and supportive during the whole process of writing the dissertation that it could not have been accomplished well without her. She was especially a good sport when I ran my ideas past her. I am thankful for my mom for raising me in the ways of virtue, as well as my dad, whose philosophical thinking was passed on to me. I am also fortunate to have grown up with my sister, as her passion is inspiring and inspires me to live life with enthusiasm, just like she does. I would like to thank my cousins and friends who have been with me through the years, supplying me with their wit and wisdom as I grew up with them. Finally, I would like to thank God for creating reality and everything contained in it and for giving human beings a wonderful mind to appreciate it. viii VITA 2007 Bachelor of Arts, La Sierra University 2009 Master of Arts, California State University, Los Angeles 2015 Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, San Diego PUBLICATIONS “Virtue Epistemology and the Pyrrhonian Problematic.” Master of Arts Thesis, California State University, Los Angeles, 2009. ix ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Intellectual Virtue and Human Flourishing: An Explanation of the Intrinsic Value of the Intellectual Virtues by Jeremy Vethan Gomer Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy University of California, San Diego, 2015 Professor Georgios Anagnostopoulos, Chair The intellectual virtues, excellent character traits as they concern the objects of epistemic concern, are usually thought to be intrinsically valuable or worth possessing in themselves because of the role they play in the human epistemic enterprise. Contemporary virtue epistemology, a branch of virtue theory that deals with epistemological issues, has had difficulty lately in explaining what makes the intellectual x virtues intrinsically valuable. I argue that two of the primary reasons for this occurrence have to do with the fact that modern virtue epistemologists incorrectly try to utilize intellectual virtue for the sake of solving contemporary problems in the theory of knowledge in a manner that is not plausible, as well as the fact that they do not connect intellectual virtue to important supporting theoretical concepts, such as human flourishing, that ancient virtue theorists rely on in their exposition of virtue. In light of this, I look to Aristotle for inspiration in articulating what I term a eudaimonistic or Neo- Aristotelian virtue epistemology, one that explains the value of the intellectual virtues in a deep and systematic way by making a substantive connection between virtue and flourishing. In doing so, I ultimately defend the conclusion that intellectual virtue is intrinsically valuable because it is a partial constituent of a flourishing human life. xi Introduction 1. The Importance of Virtue There is no shortage of information today on how to improve one's life. We are given a plethora of advice on how to lose weight, save more money, and find true love, among many other recent favorites. However, it's eminently reasonable to assume that no one has been bombarded by advice lately on how to become virtuous. Even the word “virtue” will strike many as antiquated, assuming they know what it means at all. However, virtue was discussed routinely and was an important part of ancient Greek philosophical culture. This isn't to say that the everyday people of the era were more virtuous than their counterparts today; far from it, as philosophers, including Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, frequently criticized others for failing to cultivate virtue in their lives. With that said, virtue was a part of ancient Greek thought in a manner that is not paralleled today. Thousands
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