In this chapter, we explore the idea of seeing the virtues as “ethics of aspiration” rather than “ethics of obligation.” Developing the virtues is not a burden: we need to reframe our perception if we see it as such. Seeking satisfaction of our own desires goes hand in hand with seeking a virtuous life, not against it.
Self-Control and Aspirations
C. S. Lewis suggests that:
… there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, … We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what ...
Get Working Ethically in Finance now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.