4.8 Margarita Mauri – Virtudes e interdependencia

The subject of virtue, recovered from the end of last century by authors such as Ph. Foot and A. MacIntyre, has followed in many cases, the paths opened by the classical theories of virtue expressed by Aristotle or Thomas Aquinas. One of the issues raised by these authors is the interdependence of virtue. In this paper I would like to deal with the interdependence of virtue in two areas: a) The internal interdependence of virtue, known by the name of ‘unity of the virtues’. The classical tradition argued that the acquisition and development of a virtue is linked to the acquisition of others, at least as far as concerns the cardinal virtues. This thesis has been challenged by several contemporary authors. b) The external interdependence of virtue which de- fends the need to acquire virtue in a cooperative context that allows the recognition of basic goods of human life. The communities of cooperation are diverse, but all the acquisition, development and practice of virtue involves all its members. Issues such as practical rationality, education and social and political organization are involved in external interdependence of virtue. A. MacIntyre has defended this view. The purpose of the paper is to defend a) the thesis of the unity of virtue taking its genesis as a foundation, and b) the need for an education and a social context allowing the acquisition and independent exercise of virtue.