Humility and Ethical Development

Abstract

Humility can seem like a somewhat ‘unfashionable’ virtue: the word can conjure an image of cringing servility, unduly romanticised feelings of inferiority, or a level of self-denial which seems ill-placed in a life well-lived. But the term can also capture something of great ethical importance. In this paper, I will propose an account of humility that attempts to capture this moral significance. I will then explore the connection between humility and ethical development, seeking to argue that humility has an important role in ethical improvement. If such a connection is vindicated, it suggests that humility is valuable twice over: it has intrinsic worth but is also instrumentally valuable, enabling us to become better people.

Ethical Humility in Social Work

“…Ethical humility-also known as moral humility-is generally defined as having an awareness of moral fallibility (Gow, 1996;Kupfer, 2003;Mason, 2020). According to Smith and Kouchaki (2018), "Moral humility is a virtue composed of having (a) a recognition of one's own moral fallibility, (b) an appreciation for the moral strengths and moral views of others, and (c) a moral perspective that transcends the self" (p. 79).…”

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“…Ethical humility-also known as moral humility-is generally defined as having an awareness of moral fallibility (Gow, 1996;Kupfer, 2003;Mason, 2020). According to Smith and Kouchaki (2018), "Moral humility is a virtue composed of having (a) a recognition of one's own moral fallibility, (b) an appreciation for the moral strengths and moral views of others, and (c) a moral perspective that transcends the self" (p. 79).…”