ABSTRACT
The cornerstone of the neo-classical strategy is the Aristotelian argument that virtue is acquired in much the same way as other skills and abilities—through practice. In the spirit of Aristotle, there is among most neo-classical figures a sense that people possess certain natural virtues—an innate tendency to be temperate, just, courageous, loyal, and the like. The problem is that for all the posturing about the objectivity of the virtues and their capacity to transcend the vagaries of time and subjectivity, the neo-classical position articulated by its popularizers ends up beholden to a culture of subjectivity as well. Thus when moral educators speak of the ideals and virtues that “reasonable people of good will” possess, what is “reasonable” cannot be established. Outside the bounds of moral community, morality cannot be authoritative, only authoritarian. In the end, tpropenents of neoclassical education do advocate virtue, but at best it is virtue on the cheap.
