Character
Strengths and Virtues

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation,
search

The authors identify who they think are role models
for each virtue, including Martin Luther King,
Jr. for "hope".

The Character Strengths and Virtues (CSV) handbook of
human strengths and virtues, by Christopher
Peterson and Martin Seligman,
represents the first attempt on the part of the research community to identify
and classify the positive psychological traits of human beings.[1]
In the same way that the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is used to assess and
facilitate research on mental disorders, the
CSV - first published in 2004 - is intended to provide a theoretical framework
to assist in developing practical applications for positive
psychology.[1]
The CSV identifies six classes of virtue (i.e., "core virtues"), made up of
twenty-four measurable character strengths.

Contents

1 The strengths and
virtues

1.1 List from the
book

2 Relation to virtue
ethics

3 See also

4 References

5 External
links

The strengths and
virtues[edit]

CSV defined character strengths as satisfying most of the ten following
criteria. Character strengths are

fulfilling;

intrinsically
valuable, in an ethical sense (gifts, skills, aptitudes, and
expertise can
be squandered, but character strengths and virtues cannot);

non-rivalrous;

not the opposite of a desirable trait (a counterexample is steadfast and
flexible, which are opposites but are both commonly seen as desirable);

trait-like (habitual
patterns that are relatively stable over time);

not a combination of the other character strengths in the CSV;

personified (at least in the popular imagination) by people made famous
through story, song, etc.;

observable in child prodigies (though
this criterion is not applicable to all character strengths);

absent in some individuals;

and nurtured by societal norms and institutions.

The introduction of CSV suggests that these six virtues are considered good
by the vast majority of cultures and throughout history and that these traits
lead to increased happiness when practiced. Notwithstanding numerous cautions
and caveats, this suggestion of universality hints that in addition to trying to
broaden the scope of psychological research to include mental wellness, the
leaders of the positive psychology movement are challenging moral relativism and
suggesting that virtue has a biological basis.[1]
These arguments are in line with the Science of
morality.

Each of the twenty-four character traits is defined behaviorally, with psychometric evidence
demonstrating that it can be reliably
measured. The book shows that "empirically minded humanists can measure character
strengths and virtues in a rigorous scientific manner."[2]

The authors draw from the writings of various thinkers. For
example, Socrates' developing the notion
of "bravery" from a virtue during warfare, towards general matters of social
conscience.

Practical applications of positive psychology include helping individuals and
organizations correctly identify their strengths and use them to increase and
sustain their respective levels of well-being. Each trait "provides one of many
alternative paths to virtue and well-being."[2]
Therapists, counselors, coaches, and various other psychological professionals
can use the new methods and techniques to build and broaden the lives of
individuals who are not necessarily suffering from mental illness or
disorder.

Finally, other researchers have advocated grouping the 24 identified
character traits into just four classes of strength (Intellectual, Social,
Temperance, Transcendent) or even just three classes (without Transcendence).
This, not just because it is easier to remember, but rather because there is
evidence that these do an adequate job of capturing the components of the 24
original traits.[3]

List from the book[edit]

The organization of these virtues and strengths in the book is as
follows.[1]

Wisdom and Knowledge (strengths that involve the acquisition and
use of knowledge)

creativity (personified
for example by Albert
Einstein)

curiosity (personified for
example by John C. Lilly)

open-mindedness (personified for example by William James)

love of learning
(personified for example by Benjamin
Franklin)

perspective and wisdom (personified for
example by Ann Landers): the
coordination of "knowledge and experience" and "its deliberate use to
improve wellbeing."[4]
Many, but not all, studies find that adults' self-ratings of
perspective/wisdom do not depend on age.[5]
This stands in contrast to the popular notion that wisdom increases with
age.[5]

Courage (strengths that allow one to accomplish goals in the face
of opposition)

bravery (personified for
example by Ernest
Shackleton)

persistence (personified for example by John D.
Rockefeller)

integrity (personified for
example by Sojourner
Truth)

vitality (personified for example by the Dalai Lama)

Humanity
(strengths of tending and befriending others)

love
(personified for example by Romeo and
Juliet)

kindness (personified for
example by Cicely
Saunders)

social
intelligence (personified for example by Oprah
Winfrey)

Justice
(strengths that build healthy community)

active
citizenship / social
responsibility / loyalty / teamwork (personified for
example by Sam Nzima)

fairness (personified for example by Mohandas
Gandhi)

leadership

Temperance (strengths that protect against excess)

forgiveness and mercy (personified
for example by Pope John Paul
II)

humility and modesty
(personified for example by Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics
Anonymous)

prudence (personified for
example by Fred Soper)

self-regulation and self control
(personified for example by Jerry Rice)

Transcendence (strengths that forge connections to the larger
universe and provide meaning)

appreciation of
beauty and appreciation of excellence (personified for example by Walt
Whitman)

gratitude (personified for
example by G. K.
Chesterton)

hope
(personified for example by Martin Luther
King, Jr.)

humor and playfulness (personified for example by Mark Twain)

spirituality, or a
sense of purpose and coherence (personified for example by Albert
Schweitzer)[1]

Relation to virtue
ethics[edit]

The virtues presented to some extent mirror the cardinal virtues and theological virtues
of Aristotle and Aquinas: hope, faith, charity, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, and
their respective parts.

See also[edit]

Appreciative
inquiry

Positive
psychology

Science of
morality

Value
(personal and cultural)—the principles, standards, or quality which guides
human actions

Values
in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS)

Virtue ethics

Aristotle's Nicomachean
Ethics

Aquinas's Summa
Theologica

References[edit]

^ a
b
c
d
e
Peterson, Christopher;
Seligman, Martin E. P.
(2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification.
Oxford: Oxford University
Press. ISBN 0-19-516701-5.

^ a
b
Cloninger, C. Robert
(2005). "Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and
Classification". American
Journal of Psychiatry (American Psychiatric Association) 162
(162): 820–821. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.162.4.820-a. Retrieved 2007-04-05.

^
Jessica Shryack, Michael F. Steger, Robert F.
Krueger, Christopher S. Kallie. 2010. The structure of virtue: An empirical
investigation of the dimensionality of the virtues in action inventory of
strengths. Elsevier.

^
Peterson, Christopher;
Seligman, Martin E. P.
(2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification.
Oxford: Oxford University
Press. p. 106. ISBN 0-19-516701-5.

^ a
b
Peterson, Christopher;
Seligman, Martin E. P.
(2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification.
Oxford: Oxford University
Press. p. 185. ISBN 0-19-516701-5.

External links[edit]

Values in Action website

authentichappiness.com for VIA online strengths diagnosis
questionnaire (registration required)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Character_Strengths_and_Virtues&oldid=581764528"

Categories:

Virtue

Positive
psychology

Hidden categories:

Pages
containing cite templates with deprecated parameters

Navigation menu

Personal tools

Create
account

Log
in

Namespaces

Article

Talk

Variants

Views

Read

Edit

View
history

Actions

Search

Navigation

Main page

Contents

Featured
content

Current
events

Random article

Donate
to Wikipedia

Interaction

Help

About Wikipedia

Community
portal

Recent
changes

Contact
page

Tools

What
links here

Related
changes

Upload
file

Special
pages

Permanent
link

Page
information

Data item

Cite
this page

Print/export

Create
a book

Download
as PDF

Printable
version

Languages

Español

Íslenska

Polski

ไทย

Edit
links

This page was last modified on 15 November 2013 at
12:57.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to
the Terms of
Use and Privacy Policy.

Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a
non-profit organization.

Privacy
policy

About Wikipedia

Disclaimers

Contact
Wikipedia

Developers

Mobile
view