The Heart of Virtue: Lessons from Life and Literature on the Beauty of Moral Character

By Donald DeMarco

Book Overview

The Heart of Virtue brings to life in an inspirational and memorable way what is at the core of every true moral virtue, namely, love. It presents twenty-eight different virtues, and reveals, through stories that personify these virtues, how love is expressed through care, courage, compassion, faith, hope, justice, prudence, temperance, wisdom, etc... It is a treatment of virtue that is both unique and original. It is unique in that twenty-eight distinct virtues are both illustrated in story form and explained through philosophical analysis. It is original in that many of the stories have never before appeared in print.
The Heart of Virtue is a veritable liberal education in itself, bringing together in a carefully balanced and readable manner, distinguished personalities from diverse enterprises and periods of history. It literally sparkles with celebrities recruited from science and the arts, philosophy and theology, medicine and religion, stage and screen, sports and entertainment. But the book does not ignore the relatively unknown who provide several human interest stories that are both moving and unforgettable.
The reader will be both astonished and edified by the determination of Winston Churchill, the compassion of Simone Weil, the courage of Edith Piaf, the humility of Charles Steinmetz, the patience of Walker Percy, the modesty of Flannery O'Connor, and the integrity of Jacques and Raissa Maritain.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0898705681
• ISBN13: 9780898705683
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: Ignatius Press
• Length: 231 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Heart of Virtue - nice book!

I am one of Professor DeMarcos many Philosophy students at the University of Waterloo/Ontario. This book is actually a very nice book to read and to own; it has a lot of beautiful and interesting stories and it is a valuable "Bildungsroman". I finally have a list of all the virtues + their explanations and good examples. The links to Christianity or religion related stories are really good. Could it be that spiritual or religious people have more virtues than others or is that again a matter of belief? Not many philosophers believe in God, or am I wrong?