The Structures of Virtue and Vice
The Structures of Virtue and Vice
Project Summary
It is easy to be vicious and difficult to be virtuous in today's world, especially given that many of the social structures that connect and sustain us enable the exploitation of the poor. In this book Daly uses the lens of virtue and vice to reimagine Catholic virtue ethics and social ethics in order to better scrutinize the social forces that affect our moral character and contribute to human well-being or human suffering. Further, Daly focuses on the relationship between structure and human agency to understand the structures that enable and constrain a person's pursuit of the virtuous life. Virtuous structures enable a person to love God, self, neighbor, and creation, while vicious structures cultivate hatred, intemperance, and indifference to suffering.
Audience
The book is for scholars and graduate students. A recent review of the book recommended it for the lay reader as well.
Why conduct this research?
The field of moral theology is undertheorized regarding the relationship of social structures and human agency. This book addresses this lacuna and pushes forward the conversation regarding how social structures influence the development of a person's moral character.
Facts & Figures
1st Place
The book won the Catholic Media Association's First Place Prize for best book in Theology or Philosophy in 2022. This is the Association's most prestigious annual honor.