The Freedom of Virtue

Navigating excellence in the art of living amongst a world of instant gratification

By Tom Edwards & Cosimo Chiera

"Come on a journey with two travelers — not virtuous, just trying to be. Virtue is not for everyone and many people find their happiness in the green valleys of life. But for those of us with a little  chutzpah a summit looms high above and time is of the essence…"

What makes a person, no matter their background, intelligence, or resilience, stand out from the crowd, to display excellence in the art of living?

It was this question that led two friends — a behavioural neuroscientist turned counsellor and a mathematician — both experienced academics and educators, to embark on a journey of discovery. The answer they found is called virtue.

 Virtue sits in the background of daily life, yet influences everything we say and do. It is about a person’s style and substance in spite of their physical strength or intellect. Virtue is for us all, not only for the strong and the smart.

 So how do we attain a life of excellence in a world awash with instant gratification yet marred by anxiety and depression?

 The authors argue our need to always feel comfortable, if not happy, has robbed us of achieving excellence in our own lives. Taking an evidence-based approach, they examine research findings from psychology, anthropology, and biology — while also touching on religion and philosophy — to identify six virtues which are foundational to our humanity and which orientate each of us to our ‘best-lived’ life. These foundational virtues are Courage, Diligence, Wisdom, Honour, Justice, and Kindness.

Cutting across cultural and religious barriers this unique book provides readers with practical tools in the daily art of living. Not only will mental health professionals, parents and teachers find this book of value but so will all those who seek to empower others.

Herein lies a clear path to a life of excellence through virtue. 

About the Authors

Dr Tom Edwards has a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience from Monash University, Australia where for several years post his doctorate he lectured. Upon realising that learning about the brain says little about our shared humanity, Tom went back to further study, gained a Master degree in counselling and shifted his research interests. He has since divided his time between teaching, seeing clients and research. He is currently an accredited supervisor with the Australian Counselling Association. Tom has published in respected international journals and spoken at multiple national and international conferences. More recently, Tom and his co-author Cos have set-up Natural Intelligence Pty. Ltd. (www.naturalintelligence.com.au) as a way to teach professionals how to use virtue-based insights to optimise individual and corporate outcomes. Tom’s particular interest is the virtue of hope.


Dr Cos Chiera holds a PhD in Mathematics from RMIT University, Australia, and continues to provide tutoring services as an Associate of RMIT for both mathematics and engineering courses. He has lectured at multiple higher education institutions across Victoria. In the late 1990s through to the early 2010s, Cos took time out from academia to work in the corporate world. Starting as a project manager in Y2K projects he worked his way up to Chief Operations Officer (COO), specialising in start-up companies and business triage. Nowadays Cos splits his time between consultancy work, academia, lifesaving (during the summer season) and his family. Indeed, his wife and two daughters provided much of the inspiration for this book. Of particular interest to Cos is the metric of ‘Integrity’, especially as it applies to the virtues of diligence and honour.

ISBN 9781925644142

Softcover 274 pages

Released 2019

Praise for The Freedom of Virtue

"In the current context of culturally defined models of wellbeing, this book’s brilliant explication of the scientific basis for the virtues is most welcome.”

Assoc. Professor James Phillips, Auckland University of Technology

 

"This book is written with passion and warmth . I recommend it for parents, for teachers, and for all of us who recognise that our greatest task is to prepare the next generation to live well in the world we shall hand on to them.

Rev. Professor Philip Hughes, Alphacrucis College and author of Educating for Purposeful Living

 

"My daughter once declared at the tender age of 6 that she wanted to be a particular type of teacher —‘a teacher of happiness!’ This book takes me back to that moment — happiness in its purest form . Itinspires, ignites passion and challenges us to take control."

Joe D'Amico, General Manager, Chisholm Institute (Dandenong Campus)