Moral Heroism without Virtue
Moral Heroism without Virtue
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What is moral heroism? In this book, Kyle Fruh criticizes virtue-centric answers to this question and builds a compelling alternative theoretical view: moral heroism without virtue. Drawing on real-world examples, psychology, and moral philosophy both ancient and contemporary, he argues that in fact the central achievement of moral heroes is the performance of high-stakes sacrifices, so that moral heroism is clearly not a sign of rare moral attainment among an enlightened few, but is instead something enacted by all sorts of people from all walks of life. He also looks at the question of how we respond to moral heroism, both by honoring it and by recruiting it to our efforts at moral improvement and moral education. His book is for anyone interested in moral excellence, the long philosophical traditions which examine it, and contemporary discussions of morally outstanding actions and agents.
- Provides an innovative theoretical perspective on moral heroism
- Adopts real-world examples throughout to anchor the theoretical discussions in real cases and real issues
- Draws on moral philosophy, both ancient and contemporary, while also engaging with relevant work in psychology and education science
Product details
October 2025Hardback
9781009571500
220 pages
229 × 152 mm
Not yet published - available from October 2025
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. Cases and distinctions
- 2. The case against the virtue approach
- 3. A theory of heroic moral achievement
- 4. Moral heroes: character, personality, and practical necessity
- 5. Moral heroism and supererogation
- 6. Heroism in moral education
- 7. Responding to moral heroism: admiring, honoring and commemorating
- Conclusion
- Bibliography.
