From Beliefs to Virtuous Behaviors

A great deal of recent work in psychology, philosophy, and cognitive science argues that human actions are determined primarily by unconscious mental processes. In these accounts, there is little or no role for personal beliefs, deliberative reasoning, or traditional notions of vice and virtue. In Jonathan Haidt’s memorable image, the conscious mind is like a young boy riding the elephant of the unconscious. Michael Gazzaniga sees little evidence that moral reasoning correlates with moral behavior. John Bargh and Benjamin Libet argue that unnoticed environmental conditions and unconscious mental processes are the primary drivers of behavior. Gilbert Harman and John Doris insist that virtue and vice are fictions.

But is this the full story? To what extent, and under what circumstances, do conscious processes, especially beliefs, lead to virtuous behaviors? Sir John Templeton was convinced that human beings are capable of consciously shaping their own values and, thereby, their perceptions of the world and their engagement with it. One of his favorite maxims was "When you rule your mind, you rule your world.” More than seventy other "laws" in his book Worldwide Laws of Life (1997) concern the ability of our minds to shape our intentionality. Does this maxim hold up under careful empirical scrutiny? When and how do positive beliefs yield beneficial results for individuals and society?

Our 2010 Funding Priority "From Beliefs to Virtuous Behaviors" aims to support innovative research that links rigorous science to how people can come to act in more beneficial ways. All submissions should respond directly to one or more of the following Big Questions:

1. 1How and when do beliefs influence the acquisition of virtuous behaviors?
   
2. 2What kinds of beliefs tend to promote behavior that benefits both the individual and society?
   
3. 3How can people train their minds so that their conscious thoughts and beliefs have a greater influence on their behavior?

Applicants should show how the proposed research would address at least one of the qualities of character emphasized by Sir John Templeton in the Foundation's charter.

Budget range and term for individual projects: From $50,000 to $250,000 and for up to two years. Preference will be given to collaborative work involving several disciplines or sub-fields, but this is not a requirement.

Note: Applicants for this 2010 Funding Priority should be aware that the Foundation is also supporting a multidisciplinary research project on the subject of “New Frontiers in the Psychology of Character” at Wake Forest University (find details here). Applicants are urged to review the topics and requirements for both initiatives in order to decide which program is more appropriate for their proposed project.