The Virtue of Loyalty

Loyalty is a highly contested virtue. One the one hand, some have wondered whether it is really a virtue at all. On the other, we might doubt whether a person who was not loyal to anything could be said to have a defined moral character. Loyalty is so fundamental to so many of our relationships and commitments that it is hard to imagine a world without it. Because it structures our lives by setting horizons and limits within which we make choices and conduct our affairs, it isdifficult to appreciate how significant, profound, and pervasive its influence is. That said, loyalty is a particularly salient moral concept in the public sphere, where demands for loyalty of various sorts, not to mention accusations of disloyalty, often inspire fervently passionate responses. Althoughloyalty invites moral objections and poses philosophical puzzles, it is undeniably held in high regard and viewed with great significance by many people. This volume presents ten new academic essays on the topic of loyalty considered as a virtue, written by scholars in philosophy, law, religious studies, empirical psychology, and child development, and approached from a diverse array of backgrounds and perspectives. The Virtue of Loyalty aims to help readers attain a greaterunderstanding of this complex and multifaceted virtue.