Good And Evil In Society

Question 1

What are the 4 types of character in Aristotle’s ethics?

Answer 1

Vicious, Incontinent, Continent, Virtuous

Question 2

What is a good person in Aristotle’s ethics? (4)

Answer 2

Virtuous, Complicated task, Constant quest, Constant challenges

Question 3

What is a virtue according to Aristotle? (10)

Answer 3

Courage, temperance, liberality, magnificience, pride, gentleness, agreableness, truthfulness, wittiness, justice

Question 4

What is Aristotle’s “Golden Mean” concept?

Answer 4

The need to “avoid both excess and deficiency”, and it is through “repeated performance of just and temperate acts that we acquire virtues”
The key consideration is avoidance and choice (affected by context of pleasure and pain principle)
Ex: humility > MODESTY > pride

Question 5

What are the three elements to a soul according to Aristotle? (3)

Answer 5

Feelings: desire, anger, envy, joy, friendliness, hatred, longing, jealousy, pity, etc (all linked to pleasure and pain)
Faculties: capabilities
Dispositions: well or ill disposed to the feelings concerned

Question 6

What is the highest good according to Aristotle? (3)

Answer 6

• He is desirable for itself
• He is not desirable for the sake of some other good
• All other goods are desirable for its sake

Question 7

What are the 4 Akrasia: Incontinence “lack of mastery” according to Aristotle?

Answer 7

• Impetuosity caused by pleasure
• Impetuosity caused by pain
• Weakness caused by pleasure
• Weakness caused by pain

Question 8

What are Confucius’s views? (2)

Answer 8

• Goal of peace and prosperity for people -> importance of study, reflection, focusing on the world around, figuring things out for ourselves
• A good ruler is chosen on merit not heredity, devoted, strives for perfection

Question 9

What are the 2 Confucian principles?

Answer 9

• Examplification over defined rules
• Importance of social conventions (rites and music) : makes the link between individual humanity, social reality and social relations

Question 10

What is the Golden Rule (Shu) of Confucius’s ethics?

Answer 10

«Do not onto others what you do not want done to yourself»

Question 11

What is Li’s idea of the Confucian ethics?

Answer 11

Li: All the actions taken in life by a person to build an ideal society
Li becomes actions taken to meet our surface desires (that can be good or bad)

Difference between short and long term consequences
Stress to do the right thing at the right time

Question 12

What are the 3 aspects of the life of Li?

Answer 12

• Gods and respect to them
• Social and political institutions
• Daily behaviour

Question 13

What are the 2 ideas of Yi (origin of Li) of the Confucian ethics?

Answer 13

• Self-interest gives way to a greater good
• Doing the right thing for the right reason

Question 14

What are the 3 points of Ren of the Confucian ethics?

Answer 14

Kindness, empathy, understanding

Question 15

Does the Golden Rule applies in Li, Yi, or Ren?

Answer 15

Ren (living by Ren is better than living by the rules of Yi and Li because it’s where the Golden Rule applies)

Question 16

What is the idea of Zhengming in the Confucian ethics?

Answer 16

Every citizen should be living out the full import and meaning of their names/roles/titles
(Confucius thought that this could not apply to our modern society)

Question 17

What are the 5 constant virtues of Confucius’s view?

Answer 17

• Compassion, benevolence (Ren)
• Ritual property (Li)
• Justice, righteousness (Yi)
• Knowledge, wisdom (Zhi)
• Integrity, trustworthiness (Xin)

Question 18

What is Nietzsche’s view about a virtuous person?

Answer 18

Nietzsche rejects the idea of a virtuous person