Philosophy

Framework

Ethics:

Purpose: Flourishing: The self-directed activity of developing into a good human being, pursuing goods wisely, and living well virtuously over a lifetime. Obtaining, maintaining, and enjoying the presence of all of the generic human goods and virtues. Using practical wisdom, virtue, and my personal nexus to guide my decisions and actions toward the further development of my virtue and the generic human goods. 

Moral Theory: Neo-Aristotelian Virtue Ethics (Individualistic Perfectionism)

Social Theory: Flourishing occurs through virtuous participation in relationships, practices, and communities

Political Theory: Neo-Aristotelian Liberalism (Individualistic Perfectionism)

Ultimate Purpose: Flourishing

• Self-Directed Activity: It is fundamentally a self-directed process. It is not a static state of completion, but rather the active, continuous, living-out of one’s rational potential over a lifetime. True moral value only arises when an action is chosen freely by the person. You cannot force someone to be virtuous or to truly flourish.

• Objective and Agent-Relative: Not a purely subjective feeling of happiness, nor is it a single one-size-fits-all ideal. It is an objective good anchored in human nature, yet uniquely tailored to each individual’s specific circumstances, talents, interests, and nature.

• The Ultimate End: Objective, rooted in human nature. Comprises all other intrinsic human goods and is never pursued to obtain something else. The active state of living a life where you have developed and are using practical wisdom, have cultivated an excellent, stable character through the virtues, and are wisely pursuing generic human goods. 

• Objective Requirements: Flourishing is not based on subjective whims or rules. It requires fulfilling actual, objective requirements of human nature. These requirements are virtue and generic human goods. Practical Wisdom is the primary virtue to achieve flourishing, followed by the cardinal virtues of: courage, justice, temperance, and benevolence. Then, there are the generic human goods: knowledge, friendship, health, etc.

• Harmony & Integration: Individuals must use practical wisdom to uniquely balance and weigh these goods in their own lives. The goods should be supportive of each other, although their weights and balances will change throughout a life. A correct balance will have all goods support each other (time spent with family motivates you to be more creative and productive at work for example). While weights will change, you should always attempt to maintain a baseline (If you decide to start a business, you should weigh heavier the generic good of creativity and productiveness, but if this diminishes your marriage, you are taking away your ability to flourish). 

• Virtue Cultivation & Emotions: The integrating virtue is practical wisdom, gained through experience and reflection. Virtues, like other practical skills, become learned through habit formation. The practical skill learning of virtue requires activity. When properly virtuous, your emotions are aligned with your soul. You have pleasant emotions when doing a virtuous activity, and experience negative emotions when experiencing someone acting viciously. 

The Core Virtues:

Objective, universal character traits of a good human being. Mandatory for flourishing. Virtue is not just based on the actions, but also habituated into my character the correct responses, reasoning, intentions, and emotions behind the virtuous actions. Used in pursuit of generic human goods, but also for goodness of character itself. A truly virtuous person learns to love virtue and despise vicious acts. The virtues are how I act and feel.

• Practical Wisdom: The central, integrating virtue. The ability to use my experience, character, empathy, and proper judgment to make moral decisions. Action-oriented, context-dependent, experience-based, nuanced. Determines proper means and ends.  

• Courage: The strength and mental fortitude to face challenges, overcome fears, and pursue what is good.

• Temperance (Moderation): Integrity, the self-control required to keep my desires, impulses, and physical pleasures aligned with my long-term, overall flourishing. The discipline to align actions with intentions and not sacrifice my values or character for short term gain or pleasure.

• Justice: Treating others fairly as they deserve and respecting the rights of others, recognizing human sociality.

Virtues:

• Practical wisdom is the primary integrating virtue

• Even though the pursuit of the generic human goods will look different based on the individual’s context, interests, history, etc, the virtues are objective, universal, and based on human nature. The actual pursuit of virtue may look different from the outside based on individual and circumstance, but the virtues themselves are universal, and so is the proper end, which is the pursuit of the good (for the sake of the good and goodness only)

• Virtuous actions are not based on the outcomes. They inherit the character’s disposition, intention, and emotions tied to the action

• The pursuit of virtues are toward goodness and excellent character/flourishing. Virtues are not based on the actions themselves or the outcomes of said actions

• The virtues are integrated and cannot be siloed (you cannot properly be just without courage). They are all integrated toward goodness, excellent character, and flourishing

• You can be virtuous and have bad outcomes and lose all or most of your generic human goods, this may hurt your ability to flourish, but you remain virtuous and good and this is always the only proper choice vs sacrificing your integrity in order to gain or protect a human good

The Basic (Generic) Human Goods:

Alongside the virtues, there are objective “goods” rooted in human nature. These provide the avenues and substance of a fulfilled life. A minimum presence of some capacity of all of these goods is needed for a flourishing human. The generic goods are what I achieve and experience. 

• Knowledge: The pursuit of truth, understanding, and awareness of the world & reality.

• Health: Maintaining physical and psychological well-being, vitality, and safety.

• Friendship: Cultivating meaningful social relationships and community.

• Creative Achievement/Productive Work: Meaningful effort and value creation.

• Aesthetic Experience: Experiencing beauty, art, and nature.

• Pleasure: The enjoyment and psychological well-being that naturally accompanies successful, life-promoting activity.

• Self-Esteem: Developing a justified confidence in one's own efficacy and worth. A healthy respect for oneself and one's achievements.

Universality, Individualization, and the Nexus:

Universality / The Minimum Presence of all Goods: The purpose, virtues, and generic human goods are objective and universal attributes of a well-functioning human being living a flourishing life as a rational and social being that span all time and cultures. Because of this, all of these goods must be present to flourish. First, all of the virtues are integrated, I must be wise and courageous in order to be properly just. Also, I can obtain all of the human goods, but if I have a bad character, I will in no way be happy and flourishing. Finally, if I am virtuous, and have most of the human goods, but am completely lacking in self esteem, or don’t have any friends, or am emotionally unstable, my flourishing will be objectively stunted.  

The “Nexus” and Individualization: While the virtues and goods are universal, the application and realization of these is individualized. Every person possesses a unique “nexus”: a specific blend of talents, personality, relationships, traits, culture, and life history. So, while the “ends” are objective and universal based on human nature, the “means” are highly individualized. There are countless ways a flourishing life can look in practice. A parent of 4, an explorer/philosopher, a monk, an entrepreneur, an artist or athlete, etc can all live flourishing lives in their own way by pursuing the universal and objective standard for flourishing. If they all have developed practical wisdom and virtuous character, and have present in their lives some semblance of knowledge, health, friendship, productive work, aesthetic experience, pleasure, and self-esteem. 

Presence vs Proportion: Because of human’s unique nexus, practical wisdom dictates that these goods do not need to be pursued in equal amounts given our constrained time, energy, and resources. An introvert may be fine with 2-3 close friends while an extrovert may benefit from a larger friend group and community involvement. A scientist will highly pursue knowledge while an explorer or artist will highly prioritize aesthetic experience. The proportion changes often during a single lifetime as well. A young entrepreneur may place high priority on productive work and knowledge, but then when he/she has a family, may then place a higher priority on friendship, health and pleasure and maintain the minimum presence of productive work. There still remains the need, given the vast number of potential life paths, the maintain a minimum presence of all of these goods. If you decide to start a business, you should place a high priority on productive work and knowledge, but if you act unjustly to gain more profit, neglect and lose your friends, sacrifice your health, or lose all pleasure and aesthetic experience, your ability to flourish as a human will stunted or removed. Note that these goods and virtues all support each other it is not one vs the other, they should be holistic and integrated. Your productive work can increase your self esteem. Your family and friends, pleasure, and aesthetic experiences can provide the energy toward your productive work, etc. The prioritization to some extent is helpful, but the true goal is using practical wisdom to integrate into a holistic, organic whole where all of the goods reflect your nexus and support each other. 

The Principle of Individualization:

• While these goods and virtues are generic to all humans, they are not abstract, mathematical formulas. Because every person has unique talents, circumstances, and potentialities, there is no universal hierarchy or proportion for these goods. The ultimate success of a flourishing life lies in the individual's freedom, wisdom, and creative effort to discover their own proper balance. 

• The primary human good is the full development of an integrated self, guided by the continuous exercise of practical wisdom.

• Humans have a natural potential and disposition to flourish, but they must individually take on the responsibility and choice to do so. It is an active, open-ended process of self-perfection rather than a static endpoint. The proper conditions (protection of life, liberty, property, & contracts) must also be in place.

• Because individuals have distinct talents, situations, and potentials, flourishing looks different for every person. But, the moral principles and human goods are objective and rooted in human nature.

My Core Practices:

• Fractional CFO for Coffee Businesses & Outdoor Brands

• Family and relationships

• Physical training: weightlifting, BJJ, mobility, running

• Adventure Travel

• Philosophy

• Community involvement

My Supporting Practices:

• Literature

• History

• Movies

• Photography

Current Community Organizations:

• My Fort Collins SMB Founders’ Roundtable (creation in progress)

• Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce

• Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce Red Carpet Committee

• Fort Collins DDA

• 1,000,000 Cups: Fort Collins

• Poudre Wilderness Volunteers

• McMahon’s Martial Arts Gym

Ethics Summary:

My purpose is to actively flourish across my lifetime. To develop into a good human being. To use my practical wisdom and virtues to properly pursue the correct goals. To integrate my pursuits based on my personal nexus to uniquely live and experience the joy of a self-directed, virtuous, excellent life. To be wise, courageous, temperate, and just. To pursue knowledge, health, friendship, productive work, pleasure, and self-esteem. 

Political Theory:

Two Distinct Categories:

• Political/Legal Principles (The Template of Respect): Predictable legal and political rules designed to protect the conditions necessary for individuals to pursue their own flourishing. Protection of life, liberty, property, and contracts. They do not guide you on how to live well; they merely secure a peaceful social space so you can choose how to live well. Because human flourishing is self-directed, deeply individualized, diverse, and requires autonomous choice, it cannot be micromanaged or forced by a government. 

• Individual Moral Principles (The Template of Responsibility): Guides for personal moral conduct. This is where virtue and flourishing happen. Once liberty is protected by the state, the individual must use their own free will to pursue a flourishing life. True moral value only arises when an action is chosen freely by the individual. The cultivation of moral character and practical wisdom are essential to flourishing, rather than reducing ethics to following rules, or attempting to calculate the greatest utility of actions. 

Organizational (Business Ethics) Theory:

• Purpose: The purpose of a business is value creation, which serves as a primary expression of human agency and integrated resource allocation. Profit is a natural measure of value-creating success, but it is not the only purpose of the business. The business is a community where individuals use practical wisdom and collaboration to solve complex, real-world problems. The actual value creation is done by the humans. But, the beauty of the business organization is it’s ability to take diverse people with varying backgrounds, skills, interests, and strengths and coordinate their outputs via proper collaboration, integration, and alignment to produce the greatest possible net value creation for the community and world. However, all of this morally means nothing if the conditions of the business remove the ability for potential human flourishing within the business. The market and business is not a moral-free zone, just based on utility and outcomes as the value indicator, even if the relationships are voluntary.

• Creation & Preservation of Proper Conditions Conducive to Potential Human Flourishing: Creating an environment for all stakeholders of autonomy, truth, and voluntary, virtuous collaboration. Avoiding access bureaucratic, utility, or rules-based structures. These structures in excess remove the individual’s ability to use their own practical wisdom and their ability to potentially flourish within the organization. 

• Also Self-Directed: Because an action is only truly virtuous if it is self-directed and chosen freely, government mandates strip corporate benevolence of all genuine ethical value.

• An Amazing Potential for Flourishing: Flourishing requires first and foremost the use of practical wisdom (judgment). If the business is overly bureaucratic and rules-based, or is using incentives that veer from the business’s true purpose of value creation, this completely takes away the freedom for employees to use their judgment. Another requirement is the virtues: courage, justice, benevolence. If you out employees in a box (stick with your role) and don’t encourage them to experiment or take any risks, then you are removing their ability to practice courage. If you create a culture of withholding too much data information, or outcomes as the primary indicator of business success, then you are removing the potential for proper justice and truth. If the business incentivizes in a way to incorporate internal competition, or has a bad culture of rumor spreading and siloing, then their is no room for benevolence. However, if the business gives employees proper training, experience, and support, while also allowing their freedom and respect to use their judgment to make decisions, then they will be able to cultivate practical wisdom and they will be able to flourish and the business will stay true to it’s value-creating purpose as well. If the business creates a proper culture and systems geared toward truth, collaboration, and wise risk-taking, then the atmosphere will be conducive to stakeholder flourishing with the potential for practical wisdom and virtue. The is also within a proper business an amazing opportunity to pursue generic human goods: knowledge, friendship, pleasure, creative achievement and productiveness,, and self esteem. 

• The Proper Strategy: A business should be effective, intentional, and human-based. A business must be economically sustaining via effective value creation. A business must be aligned and integrated, while also learning and having the ability to adapt. A business must keep systems and a culture that allow for potential human flourishing for all stakeholders. 

• Not a Moral-Free Zone: Individuals’ actions within a business context are in no way separate from the rest of their life. The moral actions must be self-directed, and if they act immorally, this removes their ability to be a flourishing human being in any context. Business decisions are intrinsically moral decisions. Because human flourishing is inclusive of all parts of a person's life, your professional career cannot be isolated from your personal character. Proper application of business ethics should be not based on utility, rules, or public relations. 

My Key Unique Professional Practical Skills:

• Organizational Integration: Alignment to purpose, coherence, systems thinking, tradeoffs management, resource allocation, reducing fragmentation, integration, intentionality

• Translating Strategy into Operational Reality: Connecting purpose to workflows, positioning, staffing, budgets, operations, incentive structures, resource allocation, execution realities

• Reality-Based Judgment: Direct observation, seeing organizations as living systems, understanding practical consequences, visualizing workflows

• Identifying Waste, Friction, and Bureaucracy: Naturally sensitive to unnecessary complexity, low-value work, organizational friction, disconnected meetings, incentive contradictions, inefficient resource allocation. Restoring clarity, simplicity, alignment, autonomy. Increasing effectiveness, collaboration, autonomy, and creativity. Decreasing rules and utility-based organizations. Making organizations more effective and human. 

• Integrating Human and Economic Reality: Valuing markets, entrepreneurship, economic coordination, value creation, operational effectiveness, profit, while simultaneously caring about: human flourishing, autonomy, meaning, trust, non-bureaucratic environments, internal value. 

• Founder Reality Experience: Understand constraints, tradeoffs, pressure, ambiguity, cash reality, operational burden.

• Long-Term Integrative Thinking: Naturally think systemically, philosophically, longterm, pattern recognition. Slow down chaos, prioritize, integrate competing pressures, think beyond immediate fires, organize complexity coherently.

• Practical Wisdom Orientation: Naturally driven toward understanding what matters, ordering competing goods properly, balancing tradeoffs, perceiving reality clearly, integrating principles with circumstances, creating coherent action.