2017
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
Leon Miller, « Faith, Integrity, and Integral Being », HAL-SHS : philosophie, ID : 10670/1.43e8bq
Integrity – because of its connection with ethics – has always been of interest to both moral philosophy and the world’s wisdom traditions. Throughout the history of ethical philosophy there has been an emphasis on the concept of integrity in terms of its relationship to character development and morality. However, there is also a relationship between integrity, well-being, and what it means to be well-integrated within the fabric of existence—which was especially evident in Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics. Aristotle’s explanation of integral being is also important to understanding the connection between individual and social flourishing and the having appropriate interactions both with nature and with the primordial forces of existence.This article argues that the term integrity has aspects that are broader than merely referring to human character traits. Integrity, because it enhances a person’s interactions in ways that enable an individual to flourish and enjoy an enhanced quality of life is connected with being ellintegrated within the fabric of Being. The basic premise of this article is that integrity is promoted by religion, philosophy, neurobiology, and social psychology with the intention of helping the individual realize a desired state. This desired state, in terms of Aristotle’s moral philosophy, is tantamount to realizing one’s highest good or helping a person to achieve his or her most desired outcome.