There can be something a little nose-wrinkling about the word “virtue.” It risks sounding old-fashioned, holier than thou. Or maybe in a time of cynicism, “virtue” just seems too earnest to talk about with a straight face.
However you think about the concept of virtue, though, Americans agree it’s not in great shape. In a Pew Research Center survey of people in 25 countries, the United States was the only one where a majority said the morality and ethics of their fellow countrymen were “somewhat” or “very” bad. Only 1 in 3 Americans believe “most people can be trusted,” and 1 in 5 say the federal government can be trusted to do the right thing.
A country where you don’t think your neighbor is a good person is a country where you don’t trust your neighbor – let alone your senator – and a country that doesn’t get much done. As the U.S. approaches 250 years of independence, it’s a state of affairs worth reflecting on over this long weekend.
This year, The Conversation published dozens of articles exploring virtues: what they are, how they play out in the world we live in, how some traits considered failings are actually strengths, and much more. Some people may still find the word “virtue” a bit stuffy – but this series, I hope, puts the idea in another light.
