Tolkien and Technology
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) was a British writer and university professor known primarily for his work “The Lord of the Rings.” Tolkien is considered one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. His literary work created an imaginary and elaborate world with its own languages, cultures, and stories. In addition to his literary career, […]
Ph.D. course ending. Post series beginning
Motivated by the inquiry about what we can learn in nature and how do we apply it in our daily lives, I recently defended the thesis “Between two natures: contributions of outdoor adventure education in managers formation” at Santa Catarina State University (Udesc). I enter the world of Outdoor Adventure Education with field research tools, […]
The Virtues in J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (better known as J. R. R. Tolkien) is one of my favorite authors. I share with this author his birthday, January 3rd, and this coincidence is a great honor for me, considering my admiration for his life and work. To close the month of our anniversary (!), I decided to write […]
Two queens and the moral anachronism
On February 8, 1587, the Queen of Scotland, Mary Stuart, was executed in England by her cousin Elizabeth I in this country ruled by her cousin Elizabeth I. Despite having signed the death warrant, Elizabeth stated that the order was carried out without your knowledge. Who was underhanded, and who spoke the truth? Here’s a […]
Virtues and utilitarianism: an impossible dialogue?
At first sight, utilitarianism and virtue ethics are absolutely incompatible currents of thought: utilitarianism calls for a principle of maximization, to an instrumental calculation of consequences as a criterion for the classification of moral acts, while virtue ethics requires careful analysis of the situation and the context in which the agent finds himself to determine […]
The virtue ethics approach in Administration
As stated by the professor of Organizational Theory at the IESE Business School (University of Navarra, Spain), Juan Antonio Pérez López (1912-1996), “science can have no other object than to help human beings make the right decisions”. Such decisions can have a technical or technological support, whose criterion is the adequacy of the means / […]
Virtues to face procrastination in quarantine: temperance and prudence
“I just think it (the dragon) just wanted to be noticed” – said Billy (KENT, 1975). How to deal with procrastination that can emerge from the challenges of quarantine? To answer this question, this article presents Aristotelian virtues. In particular, this text focus on two of them: temperance and prudence. We seek to understand whether […]
Prudence in Thomas Aquinas
When referring to prudence, Aquinas did not refer to the same meaning as today we give the word, as a simple synonymous of wariness and precaution. However, there is some remnant of the idea of prudentia in modern prudence. The prudent for Thomas is the one who “envisions the possibilities that can occur in the contingent situations,” but it don´t stays only […]
Virtues for the protection of life
What virtues do we need to protect someone’s life? When we understand that each person has a value in herself, we reject actions that humiliate, mistreat or incur someone’s life. The person herself, the target of these actions, may complain in this situation, seeks for her rights. But what if this person has no capacity […]
Virtues and our relationships
As we reflect on life, personal actions, and the events around us, we wonder what can lead us to a happier life, and we often think that our relationships influence this happiness, as well as how coexistence would be easier and more peaceful if moral issues and ethics were common concerns. When we think of […]