Living Accountably Accountability As A Virtue Cstephen Evans by C. stephen Evans 9780192898104, 0192898108 instant download after payment.

This book shows that accountability can be understood as a significant, forward-looking virtue, an excellence possessed by those who embrace being accountable to those who have proper standing, when that standing is being exercised appropriately. Today accountability is usually understood in terms of holding someone accountable for bad actions, but we should also look at people who welcome being accountable to others and carry out the role in an excellent manner. The book gives a fine-grained description of the virtue and how it is exercised, including an account of the motivational profile of those with the virtue. It examines the relation of accountability to other virtues, such as honesty and humility, as well as opposing vices, such as self-deception, arrogance, and servility. Though the virtue of accountability is compatible with autonomy, recognizing the importance of the virtue does justice to the social character of humans. The book explores the history of this virtue in other cultures and historical eras, showing that the virtue is widely recognized, even if it is somewhat eclipsed in modern western societies. Many people believe they are globally accountable, accountable for how they live their lives as a whole. This means that the virtue is not only central to ethics, but connects the ethical life to religious concerns, since global accountability points humans towards a transcendent ground of their accountability. The book discusses empirical evidence for the virtue and its significance, and concludes by looking at the implications of accountability for the transformation of the criminal justice system as an example of how a renewed emphasis on this virtue could enhance society.  (Publisher's description)