By Randall D. Ordovich-Clarkson, MD. The Loyalty Project was established by Cameron Esprit, Wesley Hinton, Jaelyne Navarro, and is currently supported by Dr. Magen Branham and current members of its RDP undergraduate research assistants.
Loyalty is a fundamental element of human relationships and society, shaping how we connect, cooperate, and build trust. Despite its significance, the true nature of loyalty is often misunderstood or narrowly defined. Viewing loyalty as a dynamic spectrum—rather than a fixed trait—opens new pathways for understanding its role in our lives. This perspective aligns with Aristotle’s concept of the Golden Mean, which advocates balance between deficiency and excess to achieve virtue (Aristotle, 1962).
This article explores how loyalty and pro-social behaviors reflect the timeless principle of Aristotle’s Golden Mean and examines loyalty through the lenses of biology, psychology, theology, and literature. By doing so, we highlight the intricate and multidimensional nature of loyalty.
The Loyalty Project: Investigating Loyalty as a Spectrum
The Loyalty Project was founded in the summer of 2022 at Grand Canyon University (GCU) under its Research & Design Program (RDP). Led by Dr. Randall D. Ordovich-Clarkson, M.D., and Cameron Esprit, a graduate student in the Mental Health Counseling program, the team also includes GCU graduates Jaelyne I. Navarro and Wesley D. Hinton among several pre-health and psychology undergraduates at GCU. The project’s primary mission is to redefine loyalty by expanding the research beyond its traditional focus on economic contexts, incorporating perspectives from evolutionary biology, psychology, theology, and literature.
The group’s research aims to provide a nuanced understanding of loyalty, exploring its ethical dimensions and its potential to enhance personal and societal well-being. The team’s first manuscript, currently under review with a prominent journal, seeks to challenge conventional notions of loyalty by emphasizing its multifaceted nature.
Aristotle’s Golden Mean: The Balance of Loyalty
Aristotle’s Golden Mean provides a compelling framework for understanding loyalty (Aristotle, 1962). This philosophical principle asserts that virtue exists as a balance between two extremes—deficiency and excess. Applied to loyalty, this balance creates a spectrum:
Deficiency: Betrayal, or a lack of loyalty, destroys trust and undermines relationships.
Virtuous Balance: True loyalty fosters trust and commitment, aligning actions with shared values while avoiding harm.
Excess: Blind allegiance or fanaticism represents loyalty taken to harmful extremes, resulting in toxic behaviors or ideologies.
The Golden Mean reminds us that loyalty must be practiced in moderation, ensuring it remains a positive force rather than veering into harmful territory.
A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Loyalty
To fully understand loyalty, we must examine it through multiple academic lenses, each offering unique insights into its nature and impact.
1. Evolutionary Biology: The Origins of Loyalty
In social species, loyalty emerges as an evolutionary adaptation that enhances survival:
Kinship and Group Dynamics: From family bonds to broader group cohesion, loyalty behaviors such as reciprocal altruism help sustain social structures (Gintis et al., 2008). For instance, primates exhibit loyalty through grooming and sharing, behaviors that strengthen relationships and foster cooperation.
Neurobiology of Loyalty: Brain regions like the amygdala and neurotransmitters like serotonin and oxytocin play significant roles in loyalty-related behaviors. These biological mechanisms help form trust and emotional bonds essential for group cohesion (Snyder-Mackler et al., 2020).
2. Psychology: Loyalty in Human Behavior
Psychological studies reveal how loyalty influences interpersonal and group dynamics:
Trust and Attachment: Loyalty is rooted in trust, which develops through consistent and positive interactions. These bonds form the foundation of enduring relationships.
Fear of Betrayal: As Sigmund Freud highlighted, the fear of rejection or betrayal often motivates loyalty, underscoring its emotional significance.
Moral Foundations: Loyalty features prominently in Moral Foundations Theory, which identifies it as a fundamental moral dimension alongside fairness, harm, and authority (Haidt, 2012).
3. Theology: Loyalty as a Sacred Principle
Religious traditions frame loyalty as an ethical and spiritual commitment:
Covenantal Loyalty: In Christianity, loyalty is a cornerstone of the covenant between God and His people, representing faithfulness and devotion.
Ethical Guidance: Loyalty is often associated with moral discipline, guiding believers toward virtuous actions and reinforcing communal bonds.
4. Literature and Philosophy: Narratives of Loyalty
Classical and modern literature provides rich narratives that illustrate loyalty’s complexity:
Virtue Ethics: Aristotle’s philosophy highlights the importance of moderation in loyalty, framing it as a balance between betrayal and fanaticism.
Literary Reflections: Works like Dante’s Divine Comedy and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings explore loyalty as a driving force in heroism, friendship, and moral decision-making (Dante, 2017). For example, Samwise Gamgee’s unwavering loyalty to Frodo exemplifies virtuous devotion in the face of overwhelming challenges.
The Ethical Dimensions of Loyalty
Loyalty is not a static trait but a dynamic commitment shaped by context and relationships. It thrives in an ethical framework that prioritizes trust and mutual well-being. Aristotle’s Golden Mean provides a useful guide for maintaining this balance, ensuring loyalty remains virtuous rather than becoming destructive.
Pathological Loyalty and The Dangers of Extremes: Excessive loyalty can lead to blind allegiance, cult-like behaviors, or authoritarianism, where ethical considerations are overlooked. On the other hand, deficient loyalty undermines relationships and erodes trust, creating divisions and instability.
Virtuous Loyalty and the Power of Balance: At its core, loyalty is an ethical commitment to shared values, characterized by trust, cooperation, and mutual respect. Striking a balance between deficiency and excess ensures loyalty contributes positively to personal growth and societal cohesion.
Loyalty in Practice: A Universal Virtue
Loyalty manifests in many forms, from personal relationships to professional environments:
In Relationships: Loyalty fosters trust, communication, and emotional security, strengthening bonds between individuals.
In Communities: Loyalty promotes group cohesion and mutual support, serving as a foundation for social harmony.
In Leadership: Ethical loyalty in leadership builds trust, inspires collaboration, and drives collective success.
By understanding loyalty as a spectrum, we can cultivate it as a virtue that enriches our lives and strengthens our communities.
Conclusion: Embracing Loyalty as a Balanced Virtue
Loyalty is a dynamic, multidimensional concept that transcends its traditional definitions. By aligning it with Aristotle’s Golden Mean, we gain a deeper appreciation for its complexities and its role in shaping human behavior. Through the work of the Loyalty Project and other interdisciplinary efforts, we can explore loyalty not just as a trait but as a spectrum of ethical commitments that enrich relationships, foster trust, and promote societal well-being. With the considerations of the aforementioned disciplines, the Loyalty Project has arrived at a working definition of loyalty stating that: "Loyalty is the promotion of a chosen idea to be actualized through ethical means." In embracing this definition of loyalty as an all-encompassing balanced virtue, we are reminded of its power to unite, inspire, and uplift, paving the way for a more harmonious and virtuous world.
References
Aristotle. (1962). Nicomachean Ethics. United States: Bobbs-Merrill.
Dante, A. (2017). The Divine Comedy. Aegitas.
Gintis, H., Henrich, J., Bowles, S., Boyd, R., & Fehr, E. (2008). Strong reciprocity and the roots of human morality. Social Justice Research, 21(2), 241–253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11211-008-0067-y
Haidt, J. (2012). The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided By Politics and Religion. New York: Pantheon Books. pp. 9–11. ISBN 9780307377906.
Snyder-Mackler, N., Burger, J. R., Gaydosh, L., Belsky, D. W., Noppert, G. A., Campos, F. A., Bartolomucci, A., Yang, Y. C., Aiello, A. E., O’Rand, A., Harris, K. M., Shively, C. A., Alberts, S. C., & Tung, J. (2020). Social determinants of health and survival in humans and other animals. Science, 368(6493). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax9553
Comments