The essential insight of classical philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and many others, is that the cultivation of wisdom and virtue leads to the good life. It does, far this more than anything else in life. Some of the important things in life are given to chance, but the cultivation of wisdom and virtue is always in your grasp, in all circumstances.
I take the classical Greek approach of defining a "virtue" as any good personal quality, which you cultivate, which makes you and your life better. Typically we use the word virtue to refer to such qualities at the level of emotion and behaviour. However, wisdom is simply the virtues at the level of the mind. Hence, character formation is about cultivating courage, and fortitude, and temperance, and justice, and compassion, and creativity, and so on and so forth (as I say, any good quality), at the level of the intellect, and the level of the emotions, and the level of behaviour.
To cultivate wisdom and virtue is to enact such better qualities, to the point that they become habits. Some virtues make you you more mentally and emotionally strong. Some virtues lead you to experience greater meaning and value. Some lead you to embody, and create, more meaning and value. Some make you more ethical, including especially a better person with those around you. Many virtues make you more happy. Many lead you to succeed in your goals. As the ancients put it, wisdom and virtue are the path to eudaimonia--or goodness, happiness, and flourishing.
The pursuit of wisdom and virtue--or philosophy--becomes a whole orientation to life. Every situation is an opportunity to be aware, and to enact wisdom and virtue. This is very different from the reactive life we all live to some extent, enslaved to our lesser emotions and habits.
Individuals differ in terms of which virtues they possess and which are lacking, or need more work. Character Formation is individualised. We are constantly assessing what you need and how you are progressing.
Character Formation is not psychotherapy, but of course I draw on my savviness as a psychotherapist to help people, for character development is both a philosophical and psychological challenge. In particular, I draw on cognitive and behavioural therapy, as well as psychodynamic therapy, to help people uncover their blindspots and shape their patterns and habits.
This service is currently under further development, and will be launched later in 2025. In the meantime, here of some good books which I will recommend to clients:
Plato Apology
Plato Gorgias
Aristotle Nichomachean Ethics
Craig Boyd and Kevin Timpe The Virtues: A Very Short Introduction
Raymond J. Devettere Introduction to Virtue Ethics: Insights of the Ancient Greeks
Ward Farnsworth The Socratic Method: A Practitioner's Handbook
Ward Farnsworth The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User's Manual
Epictetus Discourses
Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Robert Brennan Thomistic Psychology: A Philosophical Analysis of the Nature of Man
Raimond Gaita A Common Humanity
I take the classical Greek approach of defining a "virtue" as any good personal quality, which you cultivate, which makes you and your life better. Typically we use the word virtue to refer to such qualities at the level of emotion and behaviour. However, wisdom is simply the virtues at the level of the mind. Hence, character formation is about cultivating courage, and fortitude, and temperance, and justice, and compassion, and creativity, and so on and so forth (as I say, any good quality), at the level of the intellect, and the level of the emotions, and the level of behaviour.
To cultivate wisdom and virtue is to enact such better qualities, to the point that they become habits. Some virtues make you you more mentally and emotionally strong. Some virtues lead you to experience greater meaning and value. Some lead you to embody, and create, more meaning and value. Some make you more ethical, including especially a better person with those around you. Many virtues make you more happy. Many lead you to succeed in your goals. As the ancients put it, wisdom and virtue are the path to eudaimonia--or goodness, happiness, and flourishing.
The pursuit of wisdom and virtue--or philosophy--becomes a whole orientation to life. Every situation is an opportunity to be aware, and to enact wisdom and virtue. This is very different from the reactive life we all live to some extent, enslaved to our lesser emotions and habits.
Individuals differ in terms of which virtues they possess and which are lacking, or need more work. Character Formation is individualised. We are constantly assessing what you need and how you are progressing.
Character Formation is not psychotherapy, but of course I draw on my savviness as a psychotherapist to help people, for character development is both a philosophical and psychological challenge. In particular, I draw on cognitive and behavioural therapy, as well as psychodynamic therapy, to help people uncover their blindspots and shape their patterns and habits.
This service is currently under further development, and will be launched later in 2025. In the meantime, here of some good books which I will recommend to clients:
Plato Apology
Plato Gorgias
Aristotle Nichomachean Ethics
Craig Boyd and Kevin Timpe The Virtues: A Very Short Introduction
Raymond J. Devettere Introduction to Virtue Ethics: Insights of the Ancient Greeks
Ward Farnsworth The Socratic Method: A Practitioner's Handbook
Ward Farnsworth The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User's Manual
Epictetus Discourses
Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Robert Brennan Thomistic Psychology: A Philosophical Analysis of the Nature of Man
Raimond Gaita A Common Humanity