Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification
Peterson, C., & Seligman, E. (2004). Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. New York: Oxford University Press US.
"Character" has become a front-and-center topic in contemporary
discourse, but this term does not have a fixed meaning. Character may be simply
defined by what someone does not do, but a more active and thorough definition
is necessary, one that addresses certain vital questions. Is character a
singular characteristic of an individual, or is it composed of different
aspects? Does character--however we define it--exist in degrees, or is it simply
something one happens to have? How can character be developed? Can it be
learned? Relatedly, can it be taught, and who might be the most effective
teacher? What roles are played by family, schools, the media, religion, and the
larger culture? This groundbreaking handbook of character strengths and virtues
is the first progress report from a prestigious group of researchers who have
undertaken the systematic classification and measurement of widely valued
positive traits. They approach good character in terms of separate
strengths-authenticity, persistence, kindness, gratitude, hope, humor, and so
on-each of which exists in degrees.
Character Strengths and Virtues classifies twenty-four specific strengths
under six broad virtues that consistently emerge across history and culture:
wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Each
strength is thoroughly examined in its own chapter, with special attention to
its meaning, explanation, measurement, causes, correlates, consequences, and development
across the life span, as well as to strategies for its deliberate cultivation.
This book demands the attention of anyone interested in psychology and what it
can teach about the good life.
(Something interesting I found)Posted: Monday, January 12, 2009