Where can you find virtues?

Philosophical research initiative seeks the answer from international experts

Despite what anti-aging creams and the mirror may say, getting older can be a good thing.

Thankfully the characteristics of your “terrible twos” aren’t the characteristics of your 20s, and few people want their teenage dispositions when they’re 45.

But are you the same person whether you’re 13 or 30?

Does the courageous toddler still show courage post-retirement?

Dr. Nancy Snow, professor of philosophy, thinks so. She believes that our virtues — such as courage — though dynamic and flexible, persist over time.

However, the argument doesn’t end there. In March 2015, research teams from around the world will converge on Marquette University for a chance to argue their own theories. If it can be determined how virtues are attained, then it may be easier to achieve them.

The research initiative is co-directed by Snow and is the largest humanities grant in university history, some $2.6 million.

The three-year grant from the Templeton Religion Trust will fund 10 projects. Each will explore how a person develops virtue and personality. Research teams from around the globe all hope to be part of Snow’s milestone project.

The initiative, titled “The Self, Motivation, and Virtue,” is co-directed by Snow and Dr. Darcia Narvaez, professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame.

Also funded by the grant will be a co-authored book by the directors, a compilation of essays by the researchers, a moral self-research database, a project website and three interdisciplinary conferences. Two of the conferences will be held at Marquette.

As noted, the first conference will include presentations from researchers hoping to have their projects funded. Project proposals will be accepted and reviewed by a team this fall. Approximately 20 research teams will be invited to attend the conference in the spring.

From there, 10 interdisciplinary teams — consisting of at least one scientist and one humanist — will be selected.

The grant is an opportunity for work in a relatively understudied field of philosophy, something to which Snow has dedicated much of her research time.

“Tremendous and humbling,” is how Snow described the experience. “It’s a great recognition of the importance of this work,” she said.

The opportunity to have researchers on campus is something Snow is looking forward to because it positions Marquette as a leading research center.

“Marquette is a perfect host institution for this research because of its commitment to ideals such as cura personalis, ​being women and men for others, faith, leadership, excellence, and service.”

Studying the self as it pertains to virtue was something Snow believed was not receiving the necessary level of attention. It fueled her to apply for the grant.

“What I was seeing funded was not getting to the heart of virtue. I thought that more focused work needed to be done.”

Snow began in this field of study after reading about the situationism debate in philosophy. In the discussion, several philosophers claimed that virtues were not influential in producing behavior.

Disagreeing, Snow studied various psychology theories and eventually wrote the book Virtue as Social Intelligence: An Empirically Grounded Theory. She argues that even though personality changes, virtues can remain relatively stable components of a person’s psychological make-up.

While some researchers may disagree, Snow outlined the self as the key to virtue for the initiative. This creates a structure for the research initiative and the 10 interdisciplinary teams.

“We’re not trying to prejudge the issue, but we want to frame the projects so that they take place within a certain outlook.”

Snow and Narvaez are preparing for the initiative’s kickoff in the fall. A project manager has been hired to create the project’s website and handle the software that will allow the team to accept proposals.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what kinds of projects we get and how we can help researchers,” Snow said.

Research and reporting by Wyatt Massey, a junior studying writing-intensive English and advertising. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.