Whole Trait Theory

Stem cells and adipose tissue engineering.

IR theory is dominated by the logics of consequentialism and appropriateness. But Max Weber offered four logics of choice, not just two. Beyond the instrumental rationality of Zweckrationalitat and the normative rationality of Wertrationalitat are affect and habit. Drawing on Weber, James, Dewey, and Bourdieu, and habit’s microfoundations in neurocognitive psychology, I explore the logic of habit and its consequences for several fundamental puzzles in IR theory. The logic of habit necessarily precludes rationality, agency, and uncertainty, and so offers a different interpretation of cooperation, security dilemmas, enduring rivalries, and security communities in international politics. The logic of habit also fills a gap in mainstream constructivism’s theorization of intersubjective structures, returning the taken-for-granted lifeworld to the center of attention.

The logic of habit in International Relations

I went down yesterday to the Piraeus with Glaucon the son of Ariston, that I might offer up my prayers to the goddess; and also because I wanted to see in what manner they would celebrate the festival, which was a new thing. I was delighted with the procession of the inhabitants; but that of the Thracians was equally, if not more, beautiful. When we had finished our prayers and viewed the spectacle, we turned in the direction of the city; and at that instant Polemarchus, the son of Cephalus, chanced to catch sight of us from a distance as we were starting on our way home, and told his servant to run and bid us wait for him. The servant took hold of me by the cloak behind, and said, Polemarchus desires you to wait.

The Republic That Was

The Flight from God.@@@Homo Viator: Introduction to a Metaphysic of Hope.

Introduction Chapter One, "In Search of Global Traits" Chapter Two, "Habitual Virtuous Actions and Automaticity" Chapter Three, "Social Intelligence and Why It Matters" Chapter Four, "Virtue as Social Intelligence" Chapter Five, "Philosophical Situationism Revisited" Conclusion

Virtue as Social Intelligence: An Empirically Grounded Theory

Virtue as Social Intelligence

Dual process theorists in psychology maintain that the mind's workings can be explained in terms of conscious or controlled processes and automatic processes. Automatic processes are largely nonconscious, that is, triggered by environmental stimuli without the agent's conscious awareness or deliberation. Automaticity researchers contend that even higher level habitual social behaviors can be nonconsciously primed. This article brings work on automaticity to bear on our understanding of habitual virtuous actions. After examining a recent intuitive account of habitual actions and habitual virtuous actions, the author offers her own explanation in terms of goal-dependent automaticity. This form of automaticity provides an account of habitual virtuous actions that explains the sense in which these actions are rational, that is, done for reasons. Habitual virtuous actions are rational in the sense of being purposive or goal-directed and are essentially linked with the agent's psychological states. Unlike deliberative virtuous actions, the agent's reasons for habitual virtuous actions are not present to her conscious awareness at the time of acting.

Habitual Virtuous Actions and Automaticity

During the last decade, intellectual humility has gone from a topic of philosophical inquiry to one of serious scientific investigation. It has been variously described as a remedy for political polarization, a tool for advancing scientific credibility, and a disposition that promotes learning. However, less attention has been paid to how intellectual humility has been defined and measured or how well psychologists' definitions and measures align with one another or with philosophers' accounts. Through a systematic review of empirical intellectual humility research, we identified 18 separate definitions and 20 measures including16 unique questionnaires. We then synthesized this research to advance a new framework of intellectual humility. Implications of this framework for measurement and future research on intellectual humility are discussed.

Nancy E. Snow

Papers

Virtue as Social Intelligence: An Empirically Grounded Theory

Virtue as Social Intelligence

Habitual Virtuous Actions and Automaticity

Clarifying the Content of Intellectual Humility: A Systematic Review and Integrative Framework.

Emotions: An Essay in Aid of Moral Psychology