Character and Virtues in the Arts and Humanities

This chapter discusses the role of character in the arts and humanities. The authors introduce the most influential model of character, the Values in Action (VIA) classification of character strengths and virtues, review the relevance of the arts and humanities in the creation of this classification, and discuss earlier research and practice of character strengths in these disciplines. They review earlier studies and present new data on differences in character strengths between people working in an occupation related to the arts and the humanities (vs. other occupations), with a special focus on professional and amateur musicians. Finally, they examine whether the arts and humanities might also be associated with character strengths via role models. They conclude that in particular the character strength of appreciation of beauty and excellence might play a crucial role in the arts and humanities and discuss avenues for further research in this area.