Workshop 4: Cultivating a Virtuous Character Part of What We Choose In This Section Introduction From What We Choose The moral virtues are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature. Nature, indeed, prepares in us the ground for their reception, but their complete formation is the product of habit. — Aristotle The philosophies of Kant and of Mill examined in Workshops 2 and 3 provide two different... Workshop-at-a-Glance From What We Choose Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 2 Activity 1: Opening Scenario 15 Activity 2: Reflection and Conversation 20 Activity 3: A Question of Virtue 15 Activity 4: A Life of Virtue — Mahatma Gandhi 20 Activity 5: The Middle Path 15 Faith in Action: Civil Disobedience and Virtue Closing... Spiritual Preparation From What We Choose Set aside time for journaling, reflection, prayer, and/or meditation, using these focus questions: What people—famous or not—do you think have lived a virtuous life? What actions and qualities can you point to that make their lives virtuous? What virtues are most important to you? What guides... Welcoming and Entering From What We Choose Materials for Activity Sign-in sheet and pen or pencil Pocket folder, pen/pencil, and paper for each participant Name tags, single-use or durable Newsprint, markers, and tape Optional: Refreshments Preparation for Activity Using the Workshop-at-a-Glance as a guide, create and post the agenda on... Opening From What We Choose Activity time: 2 minutes Materials for Activity Worship table or designated space Chalice, candle, and lighter, or LED/battery-operated candle Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Preparation for Activity Arrange the worship table or designated space. Description of... Activity 1: Opening Scenario From What We Choose Activity time: 15 minutes Preparation for Activity This activity offers a choice of two scenarios. Consider carefully whether the first scenario can be safely discussed in the group.... Activity 2: Reflection and Conversation From What We Choose Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Journals or notebooks, one for each participant Variety of writing and drawing materials, such as pens, pencils, fine point color markers, and color pencils Handout 1, Virtues Preparation for Activity Write on newsprint, and post: Think of two or... Activity 3: A Question of Virtue From What We Choose Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Description of Activity Introduce the activity with these or similar words: What we view as virtuous is frequently driven by context. The virtuous action in one situation may be different from the virtuous action given... Activity 4: A Life of Virtue - Mahatma Gandhi From What We Choose Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story "Mahatma Gandhi" Preparation for Activity Print and review the story "Mahatma Gandhi," and prepare to read it aloud or invite a participant to read it. If a participant will read, give them the story in advance.... Activity 5: The Middle Path From What We Choose Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Write on newsprint, and post: Can civil disobedience be undertaken as a mean between extremes, a middle path? If so, how do you recognize the middle path? If not, why not? How is the practice of... Closing From What We Choose Activity time: 3 minutes Materials for Activity Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Taking It Home handout Preparation for Activity Customize Taking It Home and copy for all participants.... Leader Reflection and Planning From What We Choose Consider these questions as you review the workshop with your co-leader: Which parts of the workshop most engaged participants? Why? Were there parts that did not work as well? What could we have done differently? Where was it easy for you to work together? Where was it difficult?... Faith In Action: Civil Disobedience and Virtue From What We Choose Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Optional: Handout 2, Twenty-nine UUs Arrested in Phoenix Protest Optional: Handout 3, It Takes a Village to Hold a Protest Preparation for Activity Talk with your minister, religious educator, congregational leadership, or social justice committ... Alternate Activity 1: The Music of Justice Making From What We Choose Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook, for all participants Optional: Copies of Singing the Journey, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook supplement, for all participants Optional: Recordings of peacemaking or... Alternate Activity 2: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper From What We Choose Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story "Frances Ellen Watkins Harper" Preparation for Activity Prepare to read the story "Frances Ellen Watkins Harper" to the group, or ask a participant to read it and, if possible, give the participant the story ahead of time.... Taking It Home From What We Choose The moral virtues are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature. Nature, indeed, prepares in us the ground for their reception, but their complete formation is the product of habit.... Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Polly Peterson From What We Choose Originally published in Stirring the Nation's Heart: Eighteen Stories of Prophetic Unitarians and Universalists of the Nineteenth Century (Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, 2010). In the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the year 1858, a young woman entered a... Mahatma Gandhi From What We Choose Mahatma Gandhi is among the many great leaders who placed virtuous living at the center of their lives. Gandhi was a spiritual leader and nationalist in the struggle for Indian independence from Britain. While widely considered a deeply spiritual, self-sacrificing, visionary leader, Gandhi was... Handout 1: Virtues From What We Choose acceptance assertiveness attention autonomy awareness balance caring caution charity citizenship cleanliness commitment compassion confidence conscientiousness consideration contentment cooperativeness courage creativity curiosity dependability determination diligence discernment empathy... Handout 2: Twenty-nine UUs Arrested in Phoenix Protest From What We Choose Reported by Donald E. Skinner, and originally published in UU World, August 2, 2010. Twenty-nine Unitarian Universalists, including eight ministers, were arrested in Phoenix, Ariz., for acts of civil disobedience protesting Arizona's strict anti-illegal immigration law. Among those arrested were... Handout 3: It Takes a Village to Hold a Protest Kat Liu From What We Choose Let me start by saying that I am not a "protest" kind of person. My experience with numerous protests is that a lot of people assemble, shout angry slogans, maybe sing a few songs, and then go home, leaving piles of garbage in their wake.... Find Out More From What We Choose Virtue Ethics Pojman, L. Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company,1999. (Chapter 8) "Virtue ethics," Stanford University Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Mahatma Gandhi Easwaran, E. Gandhi The Man: The Story of His Transformation. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press, 2007. PREVIOUS: Find Out More UP: What We Choose NEXT: Introduction Download all of What We Choose (Word) (PDF) to edit or print.