This dissertation endeavors to address a gap in current academic discourse by initiating a dialogue on existential/ontological virtues and the establishment of a virtue ontology. Despite the enrichment of virtue theory through the lens of virtue ethics and virtue epistemology, as well as the scrutiny of ethical and intellectual virtues within ethical and epistemological paradigms, there remains little said about existential/ontological virtues. Moreover, while moral and epistemic excellence have been extensively researched, the exploration of ontological/existential excellence has not.To address this gap, I propose initiating a discourse centered on existential virtues. These virtues, when cultivated, enhance our ability to appreciate life and exist “more.” I thus investigate the concept of experiencing varying degrees of existence, influenced by one’s existential stance, which illuminates states of life as varied as near-death to those characterized by profound fulfillment and vitality.
Existential virtues, or “virtues of the heart,” enhance our engagement with Being, the self, and others. A central inquiry of this study concerns the influence of individuals’ metaphysical beliefs on their vitality. I also consider whether existential virtues can be nurtured through a cognitive shift in one’s perception of ontological reality. To this purpose, I analyze three philosophical perspectives—Stoicism, Sufism, and Neuroexistentialism—and elucidate the resulting attitudes of Stoic Serene Acceptance, Sufi Ecstatic Love, and Neuroexistential Angst.
An overarching objective of this study is to examine how differing ontological perspectives shape the cultivation of existential virtues and influence one’s art of living. To illustrate this interplay, I conduct an analysis of Sufism, highlighting the corresponding existential virtues of existential joy, existential self-worth, and existential reverence within the ontological domains of Being, the self, and others.
This study advocates for an expansion of scholarly inquiry into existential virtues, fostering a discourse on virtue ontology that would bridge ethics and ontology. Through an exploration of existential virtues as the foundation for a virtue ontology, this dissertation aims to deepen our understanding of virtuous human existence and the potential for existential excellence. Ultimately, it seeks to illuminate pathways toward a more inspired mode of existence and the possibility of a progression through varying degrees of being.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:columbia.edu/oai:academiccommons.columbia.edu:10.7916/e5sb-b156 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Yigit, Safiye |
| Source Sets | Columbia University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Theses |
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