erson ▁& ▁Sel ig man ▁exam ined ▁ancient ▁cult ures ▁( including ▁their ▁relig ions , ▁politics , ▁education ▁and ▁philosoph ies ) ▁for ▁information ▁about ▁how ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁constru ed ▁human ▁virtue . ▁ ▁The ▁research ers ▁looked ▁for ▁virt ues ▁that ▁were ▁present ▁across ▁cult ures ▁and ▁time . ▁ ▁Six ▁core ▁virt ues ▁emer ged ▁from ▁their ▁analysis : ▁courage , ▁justice , ▁human ity , ▁temper ance , ▁trans c end ence ▁and ▁wisdom . ▁ ▁Next , ▁Pet erson ▁and ▁Sel ig man ▁proposed ▁a ▁model ▁of ▁classification ▁which ▁includes ▁horizontal ▁and ▁vertical ▁components . ▁ ▁The ▁hier arch ical ▁system ▁is ▁mode led ▁after ▁the ▁Lin na e an ▁classification ▁of ▁species , ▁which ▁ranges ▁from ▁a ▁specific ▁species ▁to ▁more ▁general ▁and ▁broad ▁categories . ▁The ▁scient ists ▁stated ▁the ▁six ▁core ▁values ▁are ▁the ▁broad est ▁category ▁and ▁are , ▁“ core ▁characteristics ▁val ued ▁by ▁moral ▁philosoph ers ▁and ▁religious ▁think ers ” ▁( p .   1 3 ). ▁ ▁Pet erson ▁and ▁Sel ig man ▁then ▁moved ▁down ▁the ▁hierarchy ▁to ▁ident ifying ▁character ▁strength s , ▁which ▁are , ▁“ the ▁psych ological ▁processes ▁or ▁mechan isms ▁that ▁define ▁the ▁virt ues ” ▁( p .   1 3 ). ▁ ▁The ▁research ers ▁began ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁ident ifying ▁individual ▁character ▁strength s ▁by ▁bra inst orm ing ▁with ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁noted ▁positive ▁psych ology ▁sch ol ars . ▁ ▁This ▁exercise ▁generated ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁human