Massimo Pigliucci, author of The Quest for Character, explores whether character is innate or can be developed through ancient teachings. They discuss the importance of self-reflection, learning life skills, emotional maturity, and the concept of virtue. The episode also highlights the timeless relevance of ancient Greek and Roman insights in ethics.
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insights INSIGHT
Character: Nature and Nurture
Character is partially set by genetics and early environment but can still be improved significantly.
We cannot become completely different people, but improvement within limits is achievable.
insights INSIGHT
Greeks and Character Development
The ancient Greeks intuited the mutable nature of character despite lacking modern science.
Their schools of philosophy were experiments in altering character based on observation and intuition.
insights INSIGHT
Ancient Definition of Virtue
Virtue means excellence in fulfilling a function, like a knife cutting bread well.
Human function combines clear reasoning and pro-social cooperation, so virtue is excelling in these.
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Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophies like Stoicism and New Skepticism.
Prof. Pigliucci has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudo-scientific attack.”
In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. He writes on practical and general philosophy at Medium.
At last count, Prof. Pigliucci has published 176 technical papers in science and philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 16 books, including the best selling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books). Other titles include Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press), and The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders (Basic Books).
From The Green Notebook 