The
Evolution and Human Adaptation Program
Lecture
Series for Fall Term, 2001
Life Goals, Evolution and
Mood
Character strengths and moral virtues:
Why is goodness good?
Christopher Peterson, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology,
Visiting Professor of Psychology,
Research Director, Values in Action Institute
Tuesday, December 4
Coffee and tea at
4448 East Hall
Précis
Peterson and Seligman's Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Strengths aims to define, categorize, and measure people's positive traits. What DSM and ICD do for disease and disorder that compromise function, the VIA Classification intends to do for character strengths that contribute to fulfillment and buffer against despair. Our literature review of religious and philosophical writings on virtue suggests that there are six broad classes of strengths that are universally recognized and valued: wisdom, courage, love/humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Under this rubric, 24 more specific character strengths of concern to psychology can be classified. Although we have endeavored to be theoretically neutral in our work to date, one can certainly argue that the core virtues have a basis in the evolutionary history of our species. Each helps individuals and groups solve problems necessarily for continued survival. So, wisdom helps us anticipate and navigate change. Courage helps us sustain action in the face of emotions that push us in other directions. Love/humanity leads us to care for and nurture those who are ultimately valuable but momentarily in need. Justice provides us a way to resolve conflicts while leaving survivors. Temperance protects us against dangerous extremes of all forms. And transcendence gives us a belief system that allows us to accommodate imagined possibilities which might otherwise be overwhelming.
The Evolution and Human Adaptation Program Lectures
are sponsored by the LS&A Dean's Office,
the
To add your name to the mailing list of events sponsored by EHAP, send a note to ehap@umich.edu