Aristolian Virtue Ethics Flashcards
What are virtue ethics?
A normative ethical theory which locates value not in an action or its consequences, but in the agent performing the act. (Focuses on the individual person, rather than an individual course of action.)
A more holistic approach when making moral judgments, virtue ethicists consider not just the present action, but also the past and future actions of the agent. However, this means virtue ethicists find it difficult to offer simple rules or formulae about how we should live.
Agent-centred ethics vs act-centred ethics
Virtue ethics could be described as ‘agent centred’ - these theories make judgments of character, or whether someone is a good or virtuous person.
As opposed to deontological and consequentialist theories which are ‘act-centred’ - where our judgments are made first and foremost of specific acts, we just acts to be right or wrong.
What does virtuous mean?
Traits or states of a person that enable them to achieve some good purpose, especially living a morally good life.
Example: picking up and returning a £10 note someone drops to them, rather than keeping it.
What is the background to Aristotle’s Ethics?
Aristotle (384-322 BC)was one of the founding fathers of virtue ethics.
Viture ethics supporters
Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hume.
It has only been revived as a credible alternative to utilitarian ethics in the last 50 years.
