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Acting for good reasons: Integrating virtue theory and social cognitive theory
Author(s) -
Ahrens Anthony H.,
Cloutier David
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
social and personality psychology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.699
H-Index - 53
ISSN - 1751-9004
DOI - 10.1111/spc3.12444
Subject(s) - virtue , psychology , action (physics) , centrality , feeling , epistemic virtue , epistemology , cognition , social psychology , philosophy , physics , mathematics , combinatorics , quantum mechanics , neuroscience
One approach to well‐being focuses not on feelings or circumstances but on virtue, or engaging in the right action for the right reason in the right circumstances. Philosophers have experienced a surge of interest in virtue. In recent years, psychologists have followed suit. This paper briefly introduces virtue theory and recent work on virtue. Given the centrality of “right reason” for virtue, it is essential for virtue theorists to find a psychology that pays close attention to the reasons people have for taking action. We present social cognitive theory as one such psychology. We describe several specific research directions that social cognitive theory suggests for those interested in virtue as the best descriptor of well‐being.