ipl-logo

John Duffy's Essay 'Virtue Ethics And The Teaching Of Writing'

443 Words2 Pages

Lily Nguyen/ V00900015
ENG 135 A27
Tiffany Parks
Summary
Jan 28, 2018

In “The good writer: Virtue Ethics and the Teaching of Writing," John Duffy sustains that teachers should value virtue ethics as a fundamental step for the teaching of writing. The author believes that the foundations of teaching writing are the rhetorical, linguistic, and aesthetic. Furthermore, he adds that another category should also be considered as foundational: he refers to that of “ethics” and “ethical decision”. It is suggested that students should be encouraged to make the right choice when they evaluate sources or examine the outcomes. According to Duffy, learning to make good decisions equates to learning how to become a good student. In the essay, the author …show more content…

For instance, Margaret A.McLauren describes the role of feminism in virtue ethics as the most promising context. According to Aristotle, as Duffy mentions in this essay, happiness always comes from a life with purpose. For example, the knife has the function to cut, the plant to grow, and the horse to run. Therefore, it is a rational conclusion that human beings also have a purpose that makes them different from things and animals. Following this, the most significant improvement in modern virtue ethics comes from a theory for differentiating between right and wrong, a theory for responding to specific situations. Surprisingly, appropriation by those identifying with neoconservative ideology is considered a cultural and political performance, rather than tradition or philosophy of virtue. Duffy offers three bases to reconsider the concept of virtue: practical, theoretical and cultural. In Duffy’s opinion, the practice of rhetorical virtue may work most effectively in the specifics of local contexts depending on the needs and the goals of students and teachers. It becomes more complicated, however, when it comes to rhetorical virtues in the writing class since what is

Show More
Related

Re-Composing Space: Composition's Rhetorical Geography

210 Words | 1 Pages

In “Re-Composing Space: Composition’s Rhetorical Geography,” Roberta Brinkley and Marissa Smith expose the how valid modern day rhetoric is by analyzing the work of professionals who specialize in the following: history, English, and human behavior. According to the authors, in ancient Greece only educated, white, non-slave, men were the only group whose opinion was considered; anyone’s opinion who did not meet that criteria did not matter. Brinkley and Smith believe that there are a lot of ideas that may have been missed due to this notion and also rings to question the credibility and the morals of the ancient Grecians. In order to convince students of rhetoric who have been taught their entire life the ‘correct’ way to make a valid argument

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Ralph Waldo Emerson's 'On Education'

679 Words | 3 Pages

Einstein illustrates the most rhetorically excellent text because he is a credible source when writing about education. Einstein is questionably one of the smartest humans who has ever lived and his ideas on education form a credibly that the audience believes. Credibly is one of the ways the writer persuades the audience to become interested and convinced. The art of persuasion in rhetoric shows authority by the audience being convinced that Einstein is qualified enough to speak about the topic of education. The credibility and authority aspect of rhetoric are both involved in Ethos.

Read More

Summary Of You Can Learn To Write In General By Elizabeth Wardle

334 Words | 2 Pages

Elizabeth Wardle's essay "You Can Learn to Write in General" challenges traditional approaches to teaching writing in school. She argues that teaching writing as a set of rules or formats does not prepare students to write effectively in real-world situations. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of teaching students to become critical thinkers who are able to navigate the social and cultural contexts in which writing occurs. She also advocates for a more student-centered approach to teaching writing, encouraging students to engage in writing that is meaningful to them and allowing them to choose their own topics and genres. Wardle's essay argues for a more flexible and adaptable approach to teaching writing in academia, shifting our focus

Read More

Comparing Kantian Ethics Align With The Academy's Cadet Honor Concept

1163 Words | 5 Pages

Thus, Aristotle suggests that virtuous behavior is not innate but is developed through choosing good, guided by reason. Virtue Ethics aligns with the Honor Concept by highlighting the importance of moral character and the internalization of virtues that discourage dishonest or deceptive behaviors. While this approach offers valuable insights into personal development and the role of community standards in shaping ethical behavior, it is less directly prescriptive than Kantian Ethics regarding specific actions like lying or stealing. In response, while virtue ethics undoubtedly enhances our understanding of ethical living and the importance of character, personally, it does not provide as clear guidance on specific actions as Kantian ethics does. The categorical imperative's strength lies in its clear condemnation of actions that can't be universally justified, offering a straightforward rationale for adhering to the Honor Concept.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of One World To Rule Them All

1822 Words | 8 Pages

A yearly publication, “Young Scholars in Writing is guided by these central beliefs...that research can and should be a crucial component of rhetorical education and...that undergraduates engaged in research about writing and rhetoric should have opportunities to share their work with a broader audience of students, scholars, and teachers through national publication” (Downs 2016). The process for submitting works is simple: the articles must be between 10-25 pages long, MLA format, and double spaced; they must send in an abstract and a short biography; and first-year writers must send their work in with a note from their professor to be considered for the Spotlight on First-Year Writing category. Generally, this category contains articles discussing the topics of literature, politics, technology, and various other subjects. Many of the articles are rhetorical analyses, discussing the information, crafting ideas, and creating convincing conclusions. Eha’s article is just one of many that look at the work they are studying from a rhetorical

Read More

The Importance Of Writing Badly Analysis

1011 Words | 5 Pages

By examining the argument titled The Importance of Writing Badly by Bruce Ballenger in the book 21 Genres there is evidence of each rhetorical feature as he discusses the methods of writing that created the best outcomes. Ballenger uses Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to prove the effectiveness of his argument about the way we are taught to write within our educational system. Ballenger begins by talking about his experiences as a young writer in grade school. He was ridiculed for writing badly, particularly for making his essays “awkward” according to his teacher, Mrs. O’Neill. He often felt under pressure to write the perfect sentence with the perfect words and phrases making his writing unsuccessful in his teachers eyes.

Read More

The Role Of Virtue In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

731 Words | 3 Pages

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book ll, is about his idea of how people should live a virtuous life. Throughout this book, he explains that humans learn virtue from instructions and we learn virtue from practice too. Virtue is something that is very important because it is a moral habit that results in keeping our moral values. Aristotle believed that nobody is born with virtue, everyone has to work at it daily. After reading Nicomachean ethics, Book ll, my main conclusion of it is that us as humans are better off being virtuous than simply doing what we feel like doing at any moment in time.

Read More

Conceptual Reconstruction: The Dialogue Of The Crito, By Plato

1421 Words | 6 Pages

Ethics, virtue, justice and morality all stem from what Socrates calls the examined life, in which philosophy is used as a means to gain wisdom and knowledge which act as the basis for these values. Philosophy then, is not just an occupation, but rather an integral part of life, and a necessary component of what it means to

Read More

Mary Wollstonecraft A Vindication The Rights Of Women Analysis

862 Words | 4 Pages

“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue” (Buddha). In “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” by Mary Wollstonecraft, the path to virtue is through true education and reason. The effects of virtue are illustrated through an enlightened mind, being morally upright, and being able to live a pleasant life. One achieves virtue when one truly understands what his or her education is for, to not only to be able to learn from today’s society, but also from mistakes made in mankind’s past and try to better it.

Read More

Rhetoric In Walt Whitman's 'O Captain ! My Captain'

1426 Words | 6 Pages

Rhetoric is a universal staple to effective communication, yet it is defined differently to various sources. Quintilian defined it as a method for good men to transmit good messages, while Aristotle coined it as the aptitude to “discover, in any given case, the available means of persuasion” (Beebe & Beebe, 2006). For instructors, it is used in student-centric “perceived caring” to establish a teacher’s character, assisting his or her messages in effectively impacting students (Tevan & McCroskey, 2009). Together, these fragmented ideas combine to form rhetoric, and those who can employ them are, in turn, effective rhetoricians. In popular culture today, these fragments form many fictional personalities: commercial characters, literary protagonists,

Read More

Bonehead Writing Analysis

755 Words | 4 Pages

As I was reading Melissa Duffy’s “Inspiration, and Craig Vetter’s “Bonehead Writing,” I found myself connecting with Vetter’s paper more than Duffy’s. I found that the presentation in “Bonehead Writing” to capture my attention, and that Vetter’s feelings about writing was similar to my opinion on writing. Through his wording and humor, I think Craig Vetter wrote the best essay. I find that the wording and presentation of an article or essay influences my opinion of the writer, and it affects how I receive the idea they are trying to present to me. Craig Vetter uses a blunt approach to convey his idea that writing is nearly impossible to teach, and describes writing as “A blood sport, a walk in the garden of agony every time out.”

Read More

Non Relative Approach To Virtue Ethics

1889 Words | 8 Pages

Aristotle’s virtue ethics differs from other moral theories. Unlike deontology and consequentialism, virtue ethics emphasizes and describes moral characters (virtues). In my paper, I am going to explore the objection to virtue ethics from a relativist point of view and the responses to this objection that were presented in Nussbaum’s paper “A non-relative approach to virtue ethics.” Furthermore, I am going to present two out of three relativist objections to her responses that she anticipated, and her responses to them.

Read More

Nichomachean Ethics By Aristotle

1784 Words | 8 Pages

Aristotle understands happiness to be the central purpose of human life and a goal in itself, which we should strive for. However, for Aristotle, happiness depends on the cultivation of virtue. In order to live a happy life, one must fulfill a wide variety of conditions. In Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle pursues an answer to the question of “What is the ultimate purpose of human existence?” He wants to find out what the ultimate end goal is, for which we should direct all of our activities.

Read More

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

1330 Words | 6 Pages

Meanwhile, moral virtue trains our will and desires. This can be obtained only through practice and developing habits. Aristotle’s big argument is that virtues are always means between extremes. What he suggests by this is that any type of excess or deficiency is harmful to the soul. Moral virtue aims for the relative mean.

Read More

Aristotle Virtue Ethics Essay

525 Words | 3 Pages

Virtue Ethics of Aristotle Virtue of ethics dates back, to when Aristotle (348-322 BCE), and this does not focus on the actions of being right or wrong but on the traits of being a good person. Therefore, we focus on the character trait of what makes a person good and the qualities and virtues that makes that person morally good. Thus, virtue ethics is an agent that is centered on the morality and the teleological approach, meaning focusing on and end or a purpose. Aristotle maintained that all human beings must have a specific nature, or a function in life that will flourish when they fulfill that function or purpose in their life. During time virtue ethics lost a portion of its popularity for most of history due to its infallible weakness,

Read More

More about John Duffy's Essay 'Virtue Ethics And The Teaching Of Writing'

Related Topics

Open Document