Civic virtue advances republican freedom instrumentally, not intrinsically.
Evidence
For example, through collective political action, citizens can bring instances of domination to public attention; they can support laws and policies that would expand republican freedom; and they can do their part in defending republican institutions when called upon to do so. Promoting this sort of commitment to republican ideals will require a fairly robust program of civics education, together with a culture that rewards virtue with public esteem … Again, it should be emphasized here that citizens do not enjoy republican freedom, on the civic republican view, in being virtuous. Indeed, this could not be the case since, as argued earlier, the degree of republican freedom enjoyed is rather a question of how the laws, institutions, and norms of the community are ordered. Civic virtue is, however, instrumentally useful both in bringing about the right sorts of laws, institutions, and norms, and in ensuring their durability and reliability. — Frank Lovett, Republicanism, 65
Categorization
- DEFINE: Sharply distinguishes civic republicanism’s view of virtue from neo-Roman and other readings: virtue matters only as a means, never as constitutive of freedom.
- corroborated: 5 independent passages support this claim — Frank Lovett, Republicanism, 65
- XREF: connects to: Civic virtue is an instrumental means to liberty, not a perfectionist end — Frank Lovett, Republicanism, 62; Republican liberty may not require citizens to be inwardly virtuous. — Adelin-Costin Dumitru, Forging the Resistive Republic: Social…, 21; Civic virtue grows from rewarding group identification, not self-discipline. (+5 more)
Related
- Civic virtue is an instrumental means to liberty, not a perfectionist end (similarity 0.90)
- Republicans prefer civic-minded dispositions over civic virtue to avoid the positive liberty connotation. (similarity 0.88)
- Republican liberty may not require citizens to be inwardly virtuous. (similarity 0.87)
- Republican civic virtue is thin enough to suit pluralist societies (similarity 0.87)
- Republican governance presupposes social capital that citizens must actively build (similarity 0.84)
- Civic virtue grows from rewarding group identification, not self-discipline. (similarity 0.84)
- Republican civic virtue and a game-theoretic view of democracy can be reconciled. (similarity 0.82)
- Republican theorists have historically neglected explaining how civic norms emerge. (similarity 0.82)
- Legitimacy, built through contestatory democracy, generates civic virtue. (similarity 0.81)
- Civic virtue grows through identification with the polity, offering new identities (similarity 0.81)
- Lacking civic virtue costs a person identity, not just effort. (similarity 0.81)
- Civic virtue rests on group identification and satisfying identities, not just self-discipline (similarity 0.81)
- Freedom requires civic trust, not solitary defensive walls (similarity 0.78)
- Freedom requires a well-ordered institutional framework to reduce domination. (similarity 0.78)
- Tocqueville advocated enlightened self-interest, not republican civic virtue (similarity 0.78)
Broader Connections
- Republican liberty may not require citizens to be inwardly virtuous.
#corroborates(0.85) — Adelin-Costin Dumitru, Forging the Resistive Republic, 21 - Republican civic virtue is thin enough to suit pluralist societies
#corroborates(0.80) — Adelin-Costin Dumitru, Forging the Resistive Republic, 27 - Republicans prefer civic-minded dispositions over civic virtue to avoid the positive liberty connotation.
#qualifies(0.80) — Adelin-Costin Dumitru, Forging the Resistive Republic, 15 - Republican civic virtue and a game-theoretic view of democracy can be reconciled.
#expands(0.80) — Adelin-Costin Dumitru, Forging the Resistive Republic, 73 - Republican governance presupposes social capital that citizens must actively build
#expands(0.80) — Adelin-Costin Dumitru, Forging the Resistive Republic, 1 - Civic virtue grows from rewarding group identification, not self-discipline.
#responds-to(0.75) - Power creates freedom, not the other way around.
#complicates(0.75) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 273