I have always seemed to run across the same problem when trying to
understand the philosophy of Ethics, since every model presented in
the few philosophy courses I have taken, left me feeling empty,
broken, and with very little faith in humanity as a whole. The
conflicting flaws, or the sense that everything seems to work in
these particular situations but don't look at situation X, or
everything falls apart were partially to blame. But overall the
presented systems did not seem to account for the way I approached
ethical questions. In his book, Dr. Myers' seems to answer the
question quite clearly for me as to why this is, it is because
Ethics as it is normally approached asks questions in terms of;
What law should I follow, What authority should I trust, or Which
choice will do the most good? Instead Dr. Myers' presentation of
the types moral of questions that were posed in ancient societies
seems to ring more true to the types of moral questions I
personally ask myself. These questions; Who should I be, How should
I live, and How can I be happy? In a more general sense become What
does it mean to be human, and what does it mean to live a
worthwhile life? With these questions in mind Dr. Myers' takes the
reader on a journey through time providing the answers to these
questions and ultimately what it means to be a Virtuous person,
from the heroic and classical societies of ancient Europe, through
to various resurgences of these ideals of Virtue in historical
movements, such as the Romanticism, and Merry Old England, and on
to Today as seen in the Virtues displayed in the popularized
fiction of Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. Virtue not only is
alive and well in today's world it may possibly hold the key to
answering some of the pressing problems today's world has to offer,
when it comes to the understanding of the ethical dimension of a
spiritual lifestyle, which is not built on dogmatic autocratic
rules or institutional authorities. There are still some universal
truths out there after all, I hope.
For Dr. Myers' "Virtue is the ancient idea that excellence in human
affairs is the foundation of ethics, spirituality, self-knowledge,
and especially the worthwhile life." The origin of Virtue can be
found in what Dr. Myers' calls "The Immensity" those striking
moments in ones life, which shake the foundations of who one is,
calling into question ones very understanding of the world and
one's place in it. The Immensity in other words is a spiritual
experience, whether pleasant or unpleasant, it forces one to become
aware of one's own lack of power, and in doing so, it calls one to
respond to it, To Act. This may be to launch one on a spiritual
journey to understand not only the cosmos but ones place within it.
Such as the case when one is confronted with the actuality of
suffering in the world, and forced to account for it, in how they
live their life. The importance of the Immensity though is not in
the actual situation itself, it is how one responds to it, which
defines one as a Virtuous person. It is easy to be a good person
when everything is coming up roses, but a good man is truly defined
in who he is when caught in the chaos of the world beyond his
control. The act of storytelling is where the ethics of Virtue are
learned. Dr. Myers' presents many examples throughout his text, of
virtuous responses to such Immensities, in the characters found in
myths and stories throughout the ages. What makes one a Virtuous
person in one day and age may not necessarily be the same in
another, although there are certain Virtues found common in many
societies, the definition of a virtuous person relies on the
society and times in which that person finds themselves. This
definition can be found in the people held aloft by that society as
praise worthy, and the stories that surround their actions. There
are many specific Immensities of which one can talk about, and Dr.
Myers' himself is quick to admit that the Immensity is something
about which we can never fully understand. This does not mean we
should not try and he begins by discussing three universal
Immensities, the Earth, Other People, and Death, which I leave to
the reader to enjoy in his book.
The book as a whole is at times extremely poetic, and Dr. Myers'
use of imagery and prose is captivating. The quotes are valuable
and brilliantly evocative of the ideas he is trying to convey. I
find the symbolism, and ideas found in "The Other Side of Virtue"
enriching. After reading it twice, since the first time was too
quick for adequate digestion, I still continue to find new
treasures of insight, which shed light not only on society as a
whole, but on personal experiences, and interpretations I have
found in my own journey. I look forward to further developments by
Dr. Myers' of his ideas and understandings of the Immensity and
what it, and the confrontation of it, have to offer in our personal
understanding of a worthwhile life, and society as a whole.