Virtue in All We Do: Aristotelian Insight into Character Development and the Air Force’s Core Values

Abstract

This article demonstrates how Aristotle’s political and ethical thought serves as a unique lens to understand character development and the Air Force’s core values. This article first moves to show that because the moral lapses occurring in the Air Force were seeen as stemming from character flaws, a program of character development like Aristotle’s would offer ideas superior to value-systems that emphasize rule following. This essay then looks to Aristotle to provide conceptual content for the ideas of character, character development, and each of the Air Force core values of integrity, service before self, and excellence—which also translates from the Greek as “virtue”—in all we do.