Moral Vice, Cognitive Virtue: Austen on Jealousy and Envy

Williams, T. (2003). Moral Vice, Cognitive Virtue: Austen on Jealousy and Envy. Philosophy and Literature, 27 (1): 223-30.

Virtue theorists are fond of commending the novels of Jane Austen to moralists who agree with Elizabeth Anscombe's verdict on "modern moral philosophy" and wish to heed her call for a return to talk about virtue. And rightly so, for Austen is an astute moralist -- quite as good a jumping-off point for reflection on the nitty-gritty of the virtuous life as Aristotle is (or so I would argue). Unfortunately, virtue theorists rarely go beyond such general commendations; I want to do something to remedy this situation by reflecting on some of the specifics of Austen's vision of the virtuous life. I have chosen to focus on jealousy.

(Introduction, edited)

Source: Project Muse