Using MacIntyrean Insights to Enrich Social Work Theory and Practice

This article discusses ways in which the work of moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre can be drawn upon by social work as a practicing profession and academic discipline to enrich theory and practice. MacIntyre's ideas about the exercise of practical rationality, the cultivation of professional virtues and the pursuit of excellence in professional practice are particularly apposite to social work theory and practice. These ideas can be worked with and modified by social work theorists and practitioners. Useful modifications and additions to a MacIntyrean approach in social work could include the moral teachings of Indigenous cultures, Habermas's model of communicative rationality, insights from pragmatic philosophy and the ethics of care, and a continuing basic deontological commitment to human dignity and human rights. A nuanced approach to applying MacIntyrean thinking on practical rationality and virtue ethics could better position social work to be a more effective moral leader and a more substantive contributor to the struggles for social justice and ecological sustainability in our troubled world.