VE Flashcards
Embryo research therapeutic
-In modern VE the key virtue of focus is compassion, where empathy and understanding for the plight of others is important.
-Compassion is likely to focus on people whose well-being is destroyed by disease, rather than a collection of cells in a petri dish.
-may be suggested helping couples who are unable to naturally conceive children, or stem cell research and cloning to find cures to Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s could be viewed as morally acceptable and virtuous, as it removes suffering.
Eudaimonia
-The concept of eudaimonia may be helpful here. Stem cell research offers cures to paralysis, Parkinson’s disease, and many other seriously debilitating conditions.
-Designer babies could develop the intellectual virtue of practical wisdom, creating a society that makes virtuous choices and a society of flourishing.
-These conditions are not part of the eudaimonian ideal. Eudaimonia is complete happiness, and such a state would not be possible with the agony of such conditions.
-Just as we should strive to develop our character, we should prevent things that stand in the way of eudaimonia.
Designer babies
-How well can we tell character traits and dispositions of designer babies? With trans-humans (super humans) individuals may be bred for specific purposes.
-I.e. excessive aggression in a solider, could act at the extreme of uncontrolled anger and malice.
-The dispositions Aristotle would classify as virtuous, may not match the character traits of trans-humans in the future.
Other issues
-Physical & mental modification of humans is probably inevitable - problems as future development will likely result in a society where new virtues will be developed & key ones will be lost - virtuous future humans will be different to current virtuous humans. It is unlikely there could be a set of recognisable virtues across a range of human types.
-arguable that the teleological aspect of Virtue Ethics will be lost, as there is no common set of virtues that will produce a person of practical wisdom who can achieve eudaimonia.
-in the short term, offers opportunity to increase human well-being & develop virtues of courage & vision through the removal of diseases. Failure to use PGD where it could prevent suffering makes medics/parents responsible for that suffering.
Weaknesses of DB
-Designer babies produced to save the lives or health of their siblings or parents would know that they have been brought into existence solely to satisfy a need and not out of love for their own existence.
-If the creation of saviour babies is allowed, will society view such new human beings as mere instruments for the good of others.
-could cause serious socio-political, economic, ethical and religious upheavals in societies that have only just began to realise and embrace human rights and the individual’s personal rights.
-Children should be created and loved for their uniqueness and not for the ulterior purpose of helping another sibling.
-doctors and parents playing “God”? Do they have the right?
Abortion
-Aristotle says in his Politicsthat if parents have too many children, abortion should be brought about:
“… before sense and life have begun”
-Abortion here is a matter for the rules of the city state.
-For Aristotle then abortion should take place before a human person is present.
-It is better to abort potential babies rather than actual babies.
Aristotle quote
“… before sense and life have begun”
Rosalind hursthouse - abortion
-Abortion is a moral issue that has little to do with what the rules about abortion might say, and nothing to do with someone’s rights.
-Acting within your rights does not mean you are acting virtuously: you might be acting callously or viciously.
-The morality of abortion also has nothing to do with whether or not the foetus is a person – we do not yet have enough biological facts.
-The act of abortion is not the same as deciding whether or not to have a tooth out: it is very much a decision about ending a life or not.
Rosalind Hursthouse - virtues of a woman
-“The virtuous woman has such character traits as strength, independence, resoluteness, decisiveness, self-confidence, responsibility, serious mindedness and self determination”
-These are virtues that count, and depending on the situation, they are what should govern whether an abortion takes place
Rosalind Hursthouse - quote about boys
Equally men and boys:
“can, in their actions, manifest self-centredness, callousness and light mindedness about life and parenthood in relation to abortion. They can be self-centered or courageous about the possibility of disability in their offspring; they need to reflect on their sexual activity… and take responsibility for their own actions and life in relation to fatherhood.”
Capital punishment
-CP is not discussed by Aristotle
-CP was used in Athenian society.
-Justice was an important concept for Aristotle.
-Justice has no excess or defieincy; it is altruistic.
Aristotle says, in justice
“…every virtue is summed up”
In some sense justice is a balancing act. If someone steals, then the thief can make it up to their victim by restoring to them the property they have stolen.
If someone takes a life, then their life can be taken. This is justice?
Aristotle justice quote
“…every virtue is summed up”
Aristotle - CP
-As we saw in the section on Aristotle’s virtue ethics, in one sense justice is about balancing the distribution of gain and loss between two people.
-where one person murders another, the balance still has to be rectified, even though the victim is dead, and the only way this can be done is for the state to kill the murderer. Perhaps, then, this is how Aristotle would deal with the issue of capital punishment.
-In terms of what Aristotle says about voluntary actions, we are clearly responsible for any actions we intend.
-If someone murders someone else for vicious reasons, through the vices of spite, malevolence, hatred, envy, jealousy, anger or lust, then this is simply a matter for justice.
-A person of practical wisdom behaves justly quite simply by obeying the law and by being seen to obey it.
-For somebody who voluntarily and viciously disobeys the law by murder, then justice really requires restoration in kind, which may require capital punishment.
Euthanasia
-If a person is in a state where he or she is no longer able to achieve eudaimonia, then further living would seem to be pointless, in which case Aristotle might accept that voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide are the courageous option.
-Alternatively, enduring pain might be equally courageous, depending on one’s disposition and occupation.
Aristotle + suicide
-We define murder as the victim NOT wanting to die, therefore, voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide would not be classified as murder.
-Likewise, some would say that virtues of compassion or charity above justice.
-HOWEVER, Aristotle opposed suicide, viewing it as a base and cowardly act, going against the virtue of courage.
-Arguably, it also goes against the virtue of justice, as it deprives society of a citizen.
