We typically think of reverence as connected with religion, but my guest today on the podcast argues that reverence is a virtue that extends past religious ceremony and is vital for the flourishing of human society. His name is Paul Woodruff, and he’s a Professor of Humanities at the University of Texas and the author of Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue. On today’s show, Professor Woodruff and I discuss what the ancient Greeks and Chinese can teach us about reverence, why reverence has been forgotten in our modern age, and what you can do in your own life to renew this virtue.
Show Highlights
- What virtue ethics is
- How to become more virtuous
- The Chinese theory of virtue
- Why reverence isn’t an exclusively religious virtue
- Why the opposite of reverence isn’t humility
- Why pride can be a good thing
- What is reverence
- Why feelings are more powerful at motivating good behavior than rules
- Why awe is the beginning of reverence
- Why you need others to express reverence
- Why reverence is important even in the modern day
- Why success is dangerous
- How reverence can make you a better parent, a better teacher, and a better citizen
- Why reverence was so important to the ancient Greeks and Chinese
- Why reverence is important in hierarchies
- Why reverence has become a forgotten virtue
- The mundane ceremonies of everyday life that display reverence
- How reverence towards tradition can revitalize ceremonies
- Why shame is a good thing
- How to develop reverence
- And much more!
Resources/Studies/People Mentioned in Podcast
- Practical Wisdom: The Master Virtue
- Aristotle
- Nicomachean Ethics
- My podcast with Jamie Smith about You Are What You Love
- Confucius
- Mencius
- My podcast with Edward Slingerland about Trying Not to Try (Chinese virtue ethics)
- Hubris
- The Great-Souled Man
- Napoleon
- My podcast with Ted Lyndon about Soldiers and Ghosts
- My podcast with Waller Newell about Tyrants
- Antigone
- Our series on male status
- The Power of Ritual
- The Greek Paean (battle song)
- Famous Battle Cries From History
- What Is Honor?
- My podcast with Carlin Barton about Roman Honor
- Moral luck
Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue provides a great background on virtue ethics in general and drills down to why reverence is so important and how we can all cultivate it in our lives. It served as a good reminder to me of the importance of living with humility and awe.
Listen to the Podcast! (And don’t forget to leave us a review!)
Listen to the episode on a separate page.
Subscribe to the podcast in the media player of your choice.
Podcast Sponsors
Mack Weldon. Get great-looking underwear and undershirts that eliminate odor. Use discount code “AOM” for 20% off your first purchase from Mack Weldon.
Indochino offers custom, made-to-measure suits at an affordable price. They’re offering any premium suit for just $389. That’s up to 50% off. To claim your discount go to Indochino.com and enter discount code MANLINESS at checkout. Plus, shipping is FREE.
Five Four Club. Take the hassle out of shopping for clothes and building a wardrobe. Use promo code “manliness” at checkout to get 50% off your first box of exclusive clothing.
And thanks to Creative Audio Lab in Tulsa, OK for editing our podcast!
Read the Transcript
Coming soon!
