Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
We often think of a person’s character as comprising what is deepest and most important about her, or indeed as comprising her core identity or ‘self.' But what is included in a person’s character, as distinct from the rest of her psychology? In this lecture, Susan Wolf, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina, rejects a philosophically prominent account that identifies a person’s character with the set of dispositions and traits that reflect and express the individual’s values as being both too narrow and too vague. One’s character may well include features of oneself that one does not endorse or even know about. And endorsing a value and acting to express it may be too shallow to constitute an aspect of one’s character if it is not reflective of or responsive to the exercise of an active intelligence. Changing the way we understand character to incorporate these proposals will also lead to the recognition of an important sense of agency that has less to do with actions and intentions than we are accustomed to think. Recorded on 10/09/2024. [12/2024] [Show ID: 40221]
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We often think of a person’s character as comprising what is deepest and most important about her, or indeed as comprising her core identity or ‘self.' But what is included in a person’s character, as distinct from the rest of her psychology? In this lecture, Susan Wolf, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina, rejects a philosophically prominent account that identifies a person’s character with the set of dispositions and traits that reflect and express the individual’s values as being both too narrow and too vague. One’s character may well include features of oneself that one does not endorse or even know about. And endorsing a value and acting to express it may be too shallow to constitute an aspect of one’s character if it is not reflective of or responsive to the exercise of an active intelligence. Changing the way we understand character to incorporate these proposals will also lead to the recognition of an important sense of agency that has less to do with actions and intentions than we are accustomed to think. Recorded on 10/09/2024. [12/2024] [Show ID: 40221]
Donate to UCTV to support informative & inspiring programming:
uctv.tv/donate
More videos from: UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures
(uctv.tv/grad-council)
Explore More Humanities on UCTV
(uctv.tv/humanities)
The humanities encourage us to think creatively and explore questions about our world. UCTV explores human culture through literature, history, ethics, philosophy, cinema and religion so we can better understand the human experience.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California -- teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv)
