Virtues and Liberalism

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the rediscovery of virtue by leading Democrats and Republicans occurred in sync with a renaissance in virtue studies in the universities. The author points out that many modern liberals still reject the study and practice of virtue, arguing that it induces a prudish, 19th century, Victorian morality that equates virtue with the chastity of women. This paper relates that virtue is what causes us to care about the effects of high tax rates on the family and community and how big government contributes to moral decline.

From the Paper:

"The aversion to virtue has roots in common liberal principles: limited government, respect for individual choice, and belief in the equality of human beings. Many modern liberals believe that each citizen is the best judge of what is best for him or her; and that the government's job is to protect each citizen's right to make his or her own choices about how to live while avoiding the use of state power to favor particular choices. In this light, a set of virtues that constitute a decent or good life may be seen as a threat to individual choice."

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