Virtuous Living (6 of 13): Rationality as an Active Virtue
by Joseph Rowlands
So let's turn to the Active form of virtues. Now remember rationality has at its heart the moral principle that to act and to live, we need to use reason to make our actions conform to reality. Reason, and more generally our rational faculty, are the means we need to act in accordance with reality, and thus act effectively to promote our lives.
So what does the Active form of rationality involve? Remember that the Active form of virtues suggests a range of actions to further your life based on the moral principle. So let's go through a handful of examples.
First, if reason is our means of understanding the world, we should attempt to improve our reasoning abilities. This may involve studying the rules of logic, practicing problem-solving, or learning effective ways of using induction. These, and many other activities can actually enhance our reasoning skills.
Notice that Passive virtues would never call for something like this. They only come into play when your solving a problem, and then they tell you not to do it wrong. But strengthening your reasoning skills is an activity consistent with the moral principle, and actually enhances your ability to act according to the moral principle.
We can also look at this from the point of view of the Static vs. Dynamic views of life. If you hold life is a state, you'll be more concerned with particular values, such as wealth and material goods. The Dynamic view of life, which holds that life is a process, suggests that you should improve your ability to live. The example of enhancing your reasoning skills is perfectly compatible with this view of life.
Let's do a second example of rationality as an Active virtue. Since the heart of the moral principle is being able to act in accordance with reality, it makes sense that increased information is a possible method of acting on this principle. The more you know, the better chance you have of understanding reality, an the better chance you have of acting consistent with it.
Another example is integration of the knowledge that you have. By combining, categorizing, and seeing logical connections between ideas, you have an enhance ability to grasp the world around you.
Another example is practicing to focus your mind. Complex problems not only require you to use reason, but it requires you to have the mental conditioning to fully utilize your reasoning ability. This could be implemented by continually learning new ideas, solving problems, and otherwise using your mind. The idea is to keep sharp.
So concrete examples of actions you can take are varied. Go take classes at a local college. Move to a job that challenges you, or take on more responsibility at work. Attend an Objectivist conference. Read a book on a subject you know nothing about. Teach what you know to someone.
The conclusion here is that Rationality as an Active virtue means much more than just not being irrational. It includes all of the many ways you can act on the moral principle that you need to understand the world in order to live effectively.
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