Really interesting article. At one point I couldn’t help thinking of the phrase that goes something like “the law of God is written in the hearts of men”.

I feel there might be a need for distinguishing what emotions are indicative of following or failing to follow virtue since they can come about for many reasons.

Although Ayn Rand had much admiration for Aristotle (and mentions he is the only philosopher who has ever influenced her), something that struck me was the conflict she would have with him after I read your subtitle and introductory quote by him, as Ayn Rand says:

“A rational man knows — or makes it a point to discover — the source of his emotions, the basic premises from which they come; if his premises are wrong, he corrects them. He never acts on emotions for which he cannot account, the meaning of which he does not understand. In appraising a situation, he knows why he reacts as he does and whether he is right. He has no inner conflicts, his mind and his emotions are integrated, his consciousness is in perfect harmony.

His emotions are not his enemies, they are his means of enjoying life. But they are not his guide; the guide is his mind. This relationship cannot be reversed, however. If a man takes his emotions as the cause and his mind as their passive effect, if he is guided by his emotions and uses his mind only to rationalize or justify them somehow — then he is acting immorally, he is condemning himself to misery, failure, defeat, and he will achieve nothing but destruction — his own and that of others.”

From a psychodynamic standpoint I can see these feelings being signals arising from the unconscious that begs our awareness.

Anyway, something I’m trying to think through.

Thanks for the food for thought!