Phronesis: Using an Aristotelian Model as a Research Tool
The present report complements a previous report that described findings from a project on phronesis (practical wisdom), conducted in the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues in 2018–2020 (Kristjánsson et al., 2020). The previous report explored the conceptual contours of phronesis and proposed a four componential model (Aristotelian Phronesis Model: APM) based on different functions […]
Phronesis: Developing a Conceptualisation and an Instrument
According to Aristotelian character developmental theory, young people who have acquired the right moral traits through habituation and role modelling need gradually to develop the intellectual virtue of phronesis, or practical wisdom, to guide their decision making; otherwise, their moral life will be fragmented, uncritical and lacking in intrinsic value. The upsurge of interest in […]
Educating Cyber-Wisdom
Cyber-wisdom is defined in this report as the ability to do the right thing at the right time, when using online digital technologies. It is a virtue that helps users to maximise online opportunities and minimise online risks. The task of educating cyber-wisdom in children and adolescence relies on joint efforts from multiple stakeholders, including […]
A Cyber-Wisdom Approach to Digital Citizenship Education
For many children, the Internet has improved their lives; it has offered them opportunities for entertainment, work, socialisation and active participation in society. However, it has also exposed them to risks, including, most prominently, privacy constraints, misinformation, identity theft, inappropriate content, online abuse, cyberbullying and grooming. In an age in which children are both the […]
Teaching Phronesis to Aspiring Police Officers: Report on a Pilot Study
This report on a pilot study, conducted in the spring semester of 2022 in five police science departments at universities in England, draws upon and complements findings from an earlier report from the same research project, Character Virtues in Policing (Kristjánsson, Thompson and Maile, 2021). As was noted in the report describing Phase 1 of […]
In Professions We Trust
While not all professions are in crisis, the notion of a profession as something which encompasses and adds to the public good certainly is. In the professions studied in this paper – law, medicine and teaching – we believe that the vital link to public service and the wider common good has already broken or […]
Can the Professions be Virtuous?
Big Question: Can the professions be virtuous? This research was designed to deepen understanding of the place of virtues and values in initial education, training and subsequent professional practice in key professions in the UK today. To date, the Jubilee Centre has undertaken research in the teaching, law, medicine, nursing, and business professions, and British Army. […]
Statement on Character, Virtue and Practical Wisdom in Professional Practice
This statement is founded on research conducted by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues and others in the field. The statement was developed in partnership with members of various professions, educators, policy makers, professional organisations and academics. The overall aim of the statement is to open up space for renewed debate, discussion and dialogue […]
Repurposing the Professions: The Role of Professional Character
report considers the interplay between moral and intellectual virtues within a broad professional context and offers an foundation for further research to be conducted regarding moral character in the professional realm. By interpreting these findings using a neo-Aristotelian lens (Aristotle, 2009), this evidence indicates that the ‘good’ professional, and one that might exhibit practical wisdom, […]
Character in the Professions: How Virtue Informs Practice
Professional bodies and their members are held in high regard by the public and are expected to demonstrate service which is competent, knowledgeable, and ethical. The upholding of this public reputation, however, has seemingly led to cultures of excessive auditing and performance monitoring becoming central within contemporary professional governance. Professionals are obligated to adhere to […]