Questions of Character

Edited by Iskra Fileva

Contains essays which tackle the same subject matter from a variety of perspectives
Enables readers to see familiar issues in novel ways
Features accessible yet rigorous writing argumentation, free of unnecessary jargon

Questions of Character

Edited by Iskra Fileva

Description

This collection features 26 new essays on character from first-rate scholars in philosophy, psychology, economics, and law. The essays are elegantly written and combine forceful argumentation with original ideas on a wide range of questions, such as:"Is Aristotle's theory of character a moral theory?," "Are character traits in tension with personal autonomy", "How do traits differ from mental disorders?," "What is the role of gossip in character attribution?," and "Can businessmen be virtuous?" The chapters are organized thematically into 5 sections, each prefaced by its own special introduction. In the introductions, the editor brings out often unexpected connections among different lines of argument pursued by the authors and raises important questions for further discussion. The collection as a whole offers students of character a unique opportunity to engage with some of the best contemporary work on the topic.

Questions of Character

Edited by Iskra Fileva

Acknowledgements
Notes on Contributors
Preface

Part I: Character in Ethics
Introduction to Part I
1. Morality and Aristotelian Character Excellence David Wolfsdorf
2. Aristotle on the Person-Situation Debate: From Natural Character to Moral Virtue Mariska Leunissen
3. Character and Blame in Hume and Beyond Antti Kauppinen
4. Kant on Cultivating a Good and Stable Will Adam Cureton
5. Character and Consequences Ben Bradley
6. How One Becomes What One Is: The Case for a Nietzschean Conception of Character Development Mark Alfano

Part II: Character in Moral Psychology
Introduction to Part II
7. Moral Psychology's Drinking Problem Nomy Arpaly
8. Autonomy, Character, and Self-Understanding Paul Katsafanas
9. Virtue and Cognition Alison Hills
10. Virtue, Desire, and Silencing Reasons Neil Sinhababu
11. Character in Action Alfred Mele
12. Two Senses of "Why": Traits and Reasons in the Explanation of Action Iskra Fileva

Part III: Character in Psychology and X-Phi
Introduction to Part III
13. Promises and Consistency Rachel Cohon and Jason D'Cruz
14. Do Broad Character Traits Exist? Repeated Assessments of Individuals, Not Group Summaries from Classic Experiments, Provide the Relevant Evidence William Fleeson and Michael Furr
15. A New Approach to Character Traits in Light of Psychology Christian Miller
16. Scrupulous Characters and Mental Illness Jesse Summers and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong
17. The Psychology of Character, Reputation, and Gossip Ted Hayes, Robert Hogan, and Nick Emler
18. Character and Emotional Phenomenology: Psychotherapeutic and Ethical Implications Robert Stolorow

Part IV: Character and Society
Introduction to Part IV
19. Character and History Daniel Little
20. The "Character" of Profit and Loss: The Entrepreneurial Virtues Michael Munger and Juan Pablo Couyoumdjian
21. Justice and the Intellectual Virtues Kyron Huigens

Part V: Character in Art
Introduction to Part V
22. Fictional Characters as Social Metaphors Noël Carroll
23. Character, Social Psychology, and the Cognitive Value of Literature Robert Stecker
24. Fiction in the Brain Gonzalo Munevar
25. Character and Character Swapping in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte Stephen Davies
26. A Miscast of Character: Actors, Characters, and Character Actors Christy Mag Uidhir

Endnotes
Index

Questions of Character

Edited by Iskra Fileva

Author Information

Iskra Fileva is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has published articles and invited book chapters on issues in moral psychology, free will, and aesthetics, and is also the author of a prize-winning essay on character.

Contributors:

Mark Alfano
Nomy Arpaly
Ben Bradley
Noël Carroll
Rachel Cohon
Juan Pablo Couyoumdjian
Adam Cureton
Stephen Davies
Jason D'Cruz
Nick Emler
Iskra Fileva
William Fleeson
Michael Furr
Ted Hayes
Alison Hills
Robert Hogan
Kyron Huigens
Paul Katsafanas
Antti Kauppinen
Mariska Leunissen
Daniel Little
Christy Mag Uidhir
Alfred Mele
Christian Miller
Gonzalo Munevar
Michael Munger
Neil Sinhababu
Walter Sinnott-Armstrong
Robert Stecker
Robert Stolorow
Jesse Summers
David Wolfsdorf

Questions of Character

Edited by Iskra Fileva

Reviews and Awards

"Fileva's collection, although written by philosophers, sees more clearly than any volume I know of that questions of character must be addressed from a wide variety of perspectives and expertise. Because of that it is a vital guide for those of us interested in such matters and a superb model of inclusive philosophical thinking." -- Journal of Moral Philosophy

"In this 26 paper volume, Iskra Fileva collects the perhaps most comprehensive research collection on character seen to date. All articles are written specifically for the volume thereby securing a high level of relevance and cohesion between parts. ... It is a broad, but also unified, work (thanks to Fileva's introductions). The volume is, therefore, essential for scholars interested in character but it is also highly suitable for students. All the papers are written in a manner that is accessible for non-experts, and both the content and the structure make this volume suited for graduate classes on philosophy or social psychology. ... Fileva has succeeded in collecting some of the sharpest papers on character and it greatly represents the present state of research."--Emil Hallgren Christiansen, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice