Ethics William J. Bennett Assumes an Old

Ethics

William J. Bennett assumes an old school, straightforward approach to ethics in The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories. The book contains several chapters on different moral or ethical concepts, like self-discipline, responsibility, courage, honesty, loyalty, and faith. Part of what makes Bennett's book unique is that he uses stories to show what the ethical principles mean. The stories in the book are great, because readers are familiar with many of them including the ones that have been appropriated by Disney such as Pinocchio. This makes the ethical concepts easier to understand, because I can apply the principles to my own life. While readers have heard it all before, Bennett presents the material in a unique and fresh way to show why ethics are important. As the author puts it, it's not about being caught for doing something wrong; it's about doing the right thing.

There is a reason why self-discipline is the first chapter of the book. It is one thing to be natural at something, such as people who are good at sports without having to work at it too much. It is quite another thing to have an ambition to be good and work very hard at achieving the goal. No one is perfect, which is why it is important to recognize our weak spots and learn how to improve. Self-discipline is necessary to become a smarter, better person. Discipline from the outside world, such as punishments from parents or teachers, is not the same as self-discipline. With self-discipline, I internalize the ethical concepts. With discipline from the outside, I only know what others expect of me. I never really learn how and why to behave a certain way.

Compassion is the second chapter in The Book of Virtues. Unless a person is a psychopath, compassion can be cultivated. The reason why people make fun of or bully others is due to a lack of compassion. If the person can be made to feel one with all people, then it becomes almost impossible to hurt another. Compassion means taking to heart the feelings of another person. I treat others well because compassion feels good, and not because I think I am "supposed" to do it.

Taking personal responsibility is difficult, because it is easier to blame other people for my problems. Responsibility involves being willing to admit I am wrong. However, there are many other meanings of responsibility. Responsibility means maturity. It means that I am both willing and able to have other people to count on me. I get the glory if I succeed, but I also get the blame if I fail. The fear of failure makes responsibility difficult to experience. Responsibility ties into the issue of work, which is discussed in chapter 5. Work means taking responsibility for actions, because other people are counting on us. The concept of work is complex, because some people like what they do, and others do not. When we like what we do, it does not feel like work. When we do not like what we do, we can resent the job.

Friendship can be the core of all ethical understanding. When we care about our friends, we are willing to learn about them, and listen to them. We stop thinking only of ourselves, and care about others for no other reason than we like them. With family, we do not have to like the person to feel responsible for them. With friends, we make a conscious choice, and that act is powerful. Friendship takes courage, which is the next ethical topic discussed in the Book of Virtues. It is important to have the courage to tell other people how I feel, and to be completely honest with them. Courage means having the courage to cut people off, such as when they are unhealthy for me. For example, if I am trying to do better in school but my friend is trying to talk me into going to a party, I have to have the courage to say no. If I say no, it means I am taking responsibility for my actions.

Although the entire Book of Virtues is meaningful for me, the chapter on honesty is the one I need to learn from the most. I have had trouble with honesty in my life. It seems like, I can lie and get away with it, and thereby avoid problems. I want to tell people what they want to hear, which to me is more important than the truth. Bennett shows that honesty is important even if it means shocking people or assuming the consequences. Telling the truth is difficult sometimes, because it might mean getting into trouble or getting punished. This is where taking responsibility comes into play, because it is important to be mature enough to face up to the facts and deal with whatever punishment or consequences arise.