[Grimbl420]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

It's really simple. Take two guys, Bob and Joe, who aren't well off and are struggling to make ends meet. Both have families. One day, Bob and Joe both come into a significant amount of money by windfall.

Bob decides, "I'm going to use this to pay down my debt, and I'm going to invest the rest of it in some non-risky investments that'll give me a good return over time. It's not like this is going to make us rich or dramatically change our lifestyle, but it'll make things a lot easier on us". That's pragmatic. You might look at Bob and say he's sensible, but you're not going to say "that action makes you a virtuous person".

Joe decides, "I'm going to use this money to basically eliminate my family's carbon footprint. The whole nine yards - energy efficient appliances and plumbing, solar panels for electricity, everything I can do to make our lives less impactful on the environment. It'll never come close to paying for itself in terms of energy costs, and our day to day lives won't be any easier, but that's not why I'm doing it - I think it's important to do my part for the environment." That's an attempt to act in a virtuous manner.

Do you see the distinction I'm trying to draw?

What your describing is a difference in ideology. Both can be pragmatists if both are achieving their desired goals through action, which both seem to be doing in your examples.