Week 5

In this week's reading by Alasdair Maclntyre “Virtue, the Unity of a Human Life, and the Concept of a Tradition” from After Virtue, Maclntyre argues that human action's context and meaning are what give them relevance and coherence. The examples he uses are not isolated accounts, rather they are a part of a broader historical, social, and cultural context. These narratives give people a feeling of continuity, meaning direction in life, and help them comprehend their behaviors and identities.

For example on page 304 Maclntyre states. “ We enter upon a stage which we did not design and we find ourselves part of an action that was not of our making. Each of us being a main character in his own drama plays subordinate parts in the dramas of others, and each drama constrains the others. In my drama, perhaps, I am Hamict or lago or at least the swincherd who may yet become a prince, but to you I am only A Gentleman or at best Second Murderer, while you are my Polonius or my Gravedigger, but your own hero. Each of our dramas exerts constraints on each other’s, making the whole different from the parts, but still dramatic.”

Maclntyre emphasizes the significance of comprehending the larger contexts in which actions occur. This really spoke to me because I feel as though in our everyday life we don’t take into account what role we may be playing in other people's lives. We view life through our own lens like a character in a story, in my story, I am the main character but in someone else's I may be a protagonist, antagonist, love interest, etc. I think it is important to realize this and acknowledge the interconnectedness we have with each other as a society to better ourselves and not be so selfish and try to live through other's perspectives, this will provide a better understanding of what may cause or affect everyone's actions and better us as a whole.