Social virtues lead to the social capital that yields the trust required for the organizational efficiency that, ultimately, results in voluntary social groups not based on kinship. But, what are the “social virtues”?
According to preparingyou, “If virtue is the ‘character muscle’ of the individual, Social Virtues can be described as the sinew of society. The virtues of society are those events that bind the people together with each other.” According to S. Goldberg in ‘The social virtues: Two accounts’, “Social (epistemic) virtues are the virtues bound up with those forms of inquiry involved in social routes to knowledge.” And, as said by Mark Alfano, “Societal values refer to the shared beliefs, norms, and principles that guide a community or society’s behavior and shape its culture. These values often reflect what is considered important, moral, or desirable within a particular group”, ‘Social Virtue Epistemology’.
There is philosophical debate over what constitutes a “social virtue”. However, research suggests that the following should be considered social virtues:
- Altruism
- Cooperativeness
- Honesty
- Justice
- Liberty
- Solidarity
Altruism
By definition, “altruism” is “the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.” According to “virtue ethics“, dedication to the common good allows for the full development of our humanity.
Cooperativeness
“Cooperativeness” is defined as “marked by a willingness and ability to work with others.” According to Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom, “Human emotions underpin a commitment to reciprocity so that humans feel good when achieving mutual cooperation, and feel bad when defections (their own or others) occur.” – ‘Understanding Institutional Diversity’
Honesty
“Honesty” is defined as “adherence to the facts; sincerity; fairness and straightforwardness of conduct”. In another source, “honesty” is defined as “uprightness and fairness; truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.” According to Andy Mckechnie in ‘The Virtue of Honesty & Sincerity’, “Honesty is generally considered a universal character strength that falls within the virtue category of courage… it’s the basis of a moral society,”
Justice
“Justice” is defined as “the quality of being just, impartial, or fair.” In some cases, “justice” is defined as “administration of law or equity.” According to Cornell Law School, “justice” is “the ethical, philosophical idea that people are to be treated impartially, fairly, properly, and reasonably by the law and by arbiters of the law, that laws are to ensure that no harm befalls another, and that, where harm is alleged, a remedial action is taken – both the accuser and the accused receive a morally right consequence merited by their actions.” According to John Rawls in ‘A Theory of Justice’, justice is “the first virtue of social institutions”. Plato in ‘The Republic’ also treats justice as an overarching virtue of society. According to ‘The Cardinal Virtues’, “Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. The integral parts of justice are to do good and to avoid evil.”
Liberty
“Liberty” is defined as “the freedom to live as you wish or go where you want.” According to Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his ‘Discourse On Political Economy’, “The homeland cannot subsist without liberty, nor liberty without virtue, nor virtue without citizens.”
Solidarity
“Solidarity” is defined as “agreement between and support for the members of a group.” In her “Solidarity: Virtue or Vice?”, Heather Battaly considers the complex, distinctively collective virtue of solidarity and identifies several traits of solidarity, including shared aims, shared goals, and trust in the testimony of other community members. Solidarity is “an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes,” according to Wikipedia.
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