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PHIL 181 - Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature

Lecture 09 - Virtue and Habit I. We become virtuous by acting as if we are virtuous. This central insight of Aristotle is explored in this lecture. Professor Gendler begins by explaining how Aristotle's method can allow us to turn normative laws - which describe how we should act - into descriptive laws - which describe how we do act. But what practical strategies are available to help us turn our reflective behavior (acting as if virtuous) into automatic behavior (being virtuous)? To address this question, Professor Gendler explores a number of surprising parallels between Pavlovian conditioning of animals, successful parenting strategies, and techniques for acquiring virtue by habit. (from oyc.yale.edu)

Lecture 09 - Virtue and Habit I

Time Lecture Chapters
[00:00:00] 1. Norms, Laws, and Habits
[00:12:31] 2. Aristotle on Habituation
[00:21:37] 3. Classical and Operant Conditioning

References
Lecture 9 - Virtue and Habit I
Instructor: Professor Tamar Gendler. Resources: Reading Guide 9 [PDF]; Directed Exercise 3 [PDF]; Credit List [PDF]. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov].

Go to the Course Home or watch other lectures:

Lecture 01 - Introduction
Lecture 02 - The Ring of Gyges: Morality and Hypocrisy
Lecture 03 - Parts of the Soul I
Lecture 04 - Parts of the Soul II
Lecture 05 - The Well-Ordered Soul: Happiness and Harmony
Lecture 06 - The Disordered Soul: Themis and PTSD
Lecture 07 - Flourishing and Attachment
Lecture 08 - Flourishing and Detachment
Lecture 09 - Virtue and Habit I
Lecture 10 - Virtue and Habit II
Lecture 11 - Weakness of the Will and Procrastination
Lecture 12 - Utilitarianism and its Critiques
Lecture 13 - Deontology
Lecture 14 - The Trolley Problem
Lecture 15 - Empirically-informed Responses
Lecture 16 - Philosophical Puzzles
Lecture 17 - Punishment I
Lecture 18 - Punishment II
Lecture 19 - Contract & Commonwealth: Thomas Hobbes
Lecture 20 - The Prisoner's Dilemma
Lecture 21 - Equality
Lecture 22 - Equality II
Lecture 23 - Social Structures
Lecture 24 - Censorship
Lecture 25 - Tying up Loose Ends
Lecture 26 - Concluding Lecture