A neo-Aristotelian theory of emulation: Implications for cultivating teacher character through role modelling

Henderson, Emerald Imogen ORCID: 0000-0003-4900-0944 (2025). A neo-Aristotelian theory of emulation: Implications for cultivating teacher character through role modelling. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis expounds a new theory of emulation qua moral role modelling and suggests how it could be applied as a method of virtuous character development in the professional context of teaching. Through a synthesis of reconstructed neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics, current developmental moral psychology and qualitative empirical insights, it builds upon work by eminent philosophers, psychologists and educationists to enhance the understanding of what emulation is, conceptually speaking, and how it works as a developmental process. My central argument addresses how the methodological tensions surrounding emulation are grounded in a category mistake: the misconceptualisation of emulation as merely an emotion, rather than, as I argue, a moral virtue in its own right. Predominantly composed of virtuous emotion and necessarily entailing virtuous action, I thus propose a componential account of the virtue of emulation, which I synthesise with Aristotle’s theory of causation: the four causes. Historically revered for their explanatory power, I argue that appeal to the four causes enables one to better understand emulation as a quadripartite causal process. Through doing so, I make visible the importance of phronesis to emulation and accordingly introduce a new concept – entangled phronesis – as the psycho-moral mechanism which underpins it. As entangled phronesis works differently according to a learner’s phase of virtuous character development, I also divide emulation into two types: pre-phronetic ‘habituated emulation’ and phronetically-informed ‘complete emulation’. In the naturalistic spirit of the thesis, I then refine and extend the main concepts pertaining to this philosophical argument by aligning them with insights from developmental moral psychology and neuroscience. The result: a philosophically discerning, psychologically realistic and developmentally adequate theory of emulation. Having expounded the moral philosophy and moral psychology of emulation, the thesis then takes a more applied turn into the professional ethics education of teachers. Here, I build a normative case for phronimoi teacher role models, i.e., experienced teachers as role models to more novice teachers, which I frame as a moral developmental solution to the threshold problem – the issue that many teachers do not meet the phronetic standard required to be role models to pupils. This then fuels an empirical case study on teachers who actually are moral role models to early carer teachers. The results of the study illuminate the salience of phronesis to the emulative process and motivate sustained interest in emulation qua role modelling as a method of moral virtue and phronesis development in teachers.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):