Shared Virtue: The Convergence of Valued Human Strengths across Culture and History
Abstract
Positive psychology needs an agreed-upon way of classifying positive traits as a backbone for research, diagnosis, and intervention. As a 1st step toward classification, the authors examined philosophical and religious traditions in China (Confucianism and Taoism), South Asia (Buddhism and Hinduism), and the West (Athenian philosophy, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) for the answers each provided to questions of moral behavior and the good life. The authors found that 6 core virtues recurred in these writings: courage, justice, humanity, temperance, wisdom, and transcendence. This convergence suggests a nonarbitrary foundation for the classification of human strengths and virtues.
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In the VIA classification, three to five strengths are theoretically assigned to one of six universal virtues.
“In the VIA-classification, three to five strengths are theoretically assigned to one of six universal virtues (wisdom and knowledge, justice, courage, humanity, temperance, and transcendence; see Dahlsgaard et al. 2005).”
From The virtuousness of adult playfulness: the relation of playfulness with strengths of character (2011) · cites this paper as Dahlsgaard et al. 2005
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Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.60.5.410 · Cited by 5,947 · see citing works
Self-citationPositive education: positive psychology and classroom interventions
Seligman, M. E. P., Ernst, R. M., Gillham, J., Reivich, K., & Linkins, M. (2009) · Oxford Review of Education · doi:10.1080/03054980902934563 · Cited by 2,106 · see citing works
Self-citationBehavioral Ethics in Organizations: A Review
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Self-citationDevelopment and Psychometric Properties of the Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scales (SOCS)
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Training for Wisdom: The Distanced-Self-Reflection Diary Method
Grossmann, I., Dorfman, A., Oakes, H., Santos, H. C., Vohs, K. D., & Scholer, A. A. (2021) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797620969170 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
The virtuousness of adult playfulness: the relation of playfulness with strengths of character
Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2011) · Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice · doi:10.1186/2211-1522-1-4 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
“In the VIA-classification, three to five strengths are theoretically assigned to one of six universal virtues (wisdom and knowledge, justice, courage, humanity, temperance, and transcendence; see Dahlsgaard et al. 2005).”
BackgroundMindfulness: Towards A Critical Relational Perspective
Stanley, S. (2012) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2012.00454.x · Cited by 83 · see citing works
van Agteren, J., Iasiello, M., Ali, K., Fassnacht, D. B., Furber, G., Woodyatt, L., Howard, A., & Kyrios, M. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648678 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
- Authors
- Dahlsgaard, K., Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- Peterson, Christopher
- Venue
- Review of General Psychology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2005-09
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 203-213
- ISSN
- 1089-2680 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1552
- OpenAlex
- W2154405213
- Cited by
- 613
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 43 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 49 · 2016: 30 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 16.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Review of General Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Philosophical Ethics and Theory
- Social Sciences › Education › Values and Moral Education
- Keywords
- virtue, ethics, religious traditions, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Athenian philosophy, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, courage, justice, temperance, wisdom, transcendence, good life, cross-cultural convergence
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