Virtue Ethics Flashcards
What does character bases mean
More of a focus on what kind of person should I be rather then what should I do
Eudaimonia
That which is good for humans.
The supreme goal for human life. Ultimate happiness through doing good deeds
What is a vice
Bad qualities or immoral behaviour habits that a person possesses
How do you become virtuous
Practice the virtues until they become effortless
Act in a way to help you become morally perfect over time
What is VE concerned with
The development of ones character
Not the actions duties or consequences as much
What is virtue ethics based on
Where does it come from
Ancient Greek literature
Heroic society
People judged by their deeds
morally you are what you do
Basic principle of virtue ethics
Cultivating good deeds
What is the aim of VE
For every person to reach the ultimate good (eudaimonia)
Achieving happiness through being virtuous and doing good acts
Who came up with virtue ethics
Aristotle
What does it mean by virtue ethics as agent centred
There are no rules only the focus of the development of a character
Ehat is the unique aspect of the human soul
Ability to exercise reason
Humans difference to animals what makes us unique
What is the difference between the rational and irrational soul
Rational - calculative and scientific (factual knowledge) reason
Irrational - contains desiring (distinguish between wants and needs) and vegetive (basic needs)
Why can only voluntary actions be virtuous
Intention has to be pure in order to be virtuous
for example to help an old woman across the street is virtuous but not if it’s to impress someone
Must make a deliberate choice through reason nobody can be virtuous on accident
cannot make a decision through desire wish or opinion
Function
Work or accomplishment
something is good if it fulfils it’s function
Hierarchy
System in which the party members of went according to status authority
Aristotle refers to the hierarchy of souls- in which humans rank highest as they possess rationality and ability to reason
What was the hierarchy Aristotle believed in
Philosophers
Politicians
People
What is the philosophers role in society according to Aristotle
To work out what virtues should be extolled in a society and to be mindful of any vices that could develop
Then informed the politicians
What is the politicians role in society according to Aristotle
Their Job to nurture society in which these virtues develop and vices do not
What is the peoples role in society according to Aristotle
To live up to and develop these virtues within themselves and within the community
What were the three types of happiness Aristotle believed people could be
Pleasure seekers
Seekers of honour
Those who love contemplation
Define a pleasure Seeker
People who are driven by the basic desires and simply live from one pleasurable experience to the next
E.g. eating food sleeping drinking and having sex
Define seekers of honour 
Aristotle saw politicians as seekers of honour
These are people who try to find solutions to important problems and get a sense of honour from doing that
Define those who love contemplation
These are philosophers and thinkers
For Aristotle the intellectual virtues of contemplation is the highest good for humanity
Reason is the highest aspect of human life
What is virtue ethics also known as
Aretaic ethics
Meaning excellence or virtue
What does aristotle argue all humans have
A telos
All humans are aiming for something positive in the way that they behave they want to bring about good consequences and this is a teleological viewpoint
How does Aristotle‘s see eudaimonia
Happiness the supreme goal of human life
Is achieved when we become virtuous
This is the process that we grow towards by practising virtues
Practice makes perfect
What are superior aims
Those that focus on the end goal
The aim is that good for oneself in humanity
What are subordinate aims
The means of getting to the end goal
The aim will be the growth of one’s character through practising virtues
Give an example that draws the distinction between superior and subordinate aims
Why do I study ethics To get a qualification I get the qualification to get a good job I want a good job because… (These are subordinate aims)
At some point you would have to say because that would make me happy
This is the superior aim
What is the function argument
All objects have a Telos
An object is good when it properly secured it’s Telos
The telos of a human being is to reason
The good for a human being is therefore acting in accordance with reason
What is the quote that Aristotle uses that separates mankind from the rest of the world
Humans are rational animals
What is the order for the hierarchy of
souls
Humans
Animals
Plants
How is a plantS soul characterised
Nutrition and growth
How is an animal soul characterised
Nutrition and growth
Movement
Low-level thought
How is a human soul characterised
Nutrition and growth
Movement
Reason
What did Aristotle say about humans in the hierarchy of souls
Pleasure alone cannot result in height happiness because animals are driven by the pursuit of pleasure
Aristotle believed that man has greater capacity is an animals This is why humans are rational animals
Humans can reason well and best when they exercise virtues moral excellence
What are the two parts of the soul
Rational – logic facts and truth
Irrational – wants desires and needs
What virtues are developed in the rational part of the soul
Intellectual virtues– Qualities developed through instruction
Theological virtues – Philosophy and science
Practical virtues – wisdom and judgement
What virtues are developed in the irrational part of the soul
Moral virtues Are cultivated by habit
To become a generous person I must get into the habit of being generous
They are guided by the rational soul
What are the two ways a human can practice aiming for a good telos
By behaving in a balanced way – considering the two extremes of our actions and following the middle path
Following a virtuous teacher who performs virtuous actions so is a morally good person
Key quotes from Aristotle about habitual virtues
Anything that we have to learn to do we learn by the actual doing of it
Sum up how happiness is acquired
By habituation and constant practice of virtuous actions
Eventually moral excellence becomes effortless/ innate
Mean
The median – specific virtues lie between the two extreams - the excess and deficiency
The mean is relative to the disposition of an individual
Phronimos
The man of practical wisdom who in Aristotle system is best qualified to define virtuous behaviour in any situation
His practical wisdom was acquired by constant practice and habit
Why is developing virtues are necessary for Aristotle
Qualities enable people to live together
Only when those qualities are displayed can everyone enjoy happiness because they were necessary for one’s development as a social being
developing the virtues is necessary feature of living alongside others – it is therefore social political and moral feature of life not just a personal
Why should using reason for a good life not be done in isolation
We are all part of communities and should concern ourselves the overall well-being of society
Aristotle called us social animals meaning our well-being, our sense of the good life and a flourishing is bound with our communities flourishing
What are the two categories of virtues
Moral virtues
Intellectual virtues
What are moral virtues
Qualities of character e.g. bravery
These are practised, habitual
Learned through experience
What are intellectual virtues
Qualities of the mind
They are taught and improved by instructions
List are startles five intellectual virtues
Practical Wisdom/prudence - ability to learn from one’s mistakes
Intuitive intelligence -developing the ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong
Wisdom - having good life experience
Scientific knowledge - ability to understand and test facts
Art and craft - special skills we are trained in 
What is the Golden mean
Refers to the actions that are virtuous
It is in the centre between two extremes known as vices
The vice of deficiency and the vice of excess 
What is the vice of deficiency
Having too little of one characteristic
What is vice of excess
Having too much of ones characteristics
Is virtue ethics a flexible ethical approach
Aristotle recognised it was unlikely for people to hit the gold mean first time – appealing theory because it shows humans can get things wrong
Must learn from mistakes and adjust behaviour
Balance between moral and intellectual virtues is essential as they work together to fully guide human to the Telos
Intellectual virtues help us exercise our reason to work out what we have done wrong
If we followed moral virtues slavishly without intellectual values we would be robotic
What did Aristotle believe about intentions
An act is only virtuous if the motives are virtuous in themselves
The intention must be genuine and they must understand what they are doing – you can never accidentally be virtuous
Acting virtuously is thinking about the action and making reasoned choice
What did Aristotle say about justice and friendship
Neither have extremes of excess or deficiency
Both altruistic - means love of others opposed to love of self
What does Aristotle say on justice
Justice is concerned with fairness
Means to make sure all goods in the community should be distributed so each person receives what is proportionate to his merit
What does Aristotle say on friendship
Import and social virtue that needed to be developed within society as a whole to encourage personal as well as societal and altruistic flourishing
Friendship as a virtue will develop the person but will also by nature develop the friend as long as both continue to cultivate and develop the virtues
List three virtues
Courage
Truth and sincerity
Modesty
Describe the virtue courage and the two vices
Vice of deficiency – cowardice – being too afraid to act
Courage – doing the right thing when necessary
Vice of Excess – Rashness – acting without thinking
Describe the virtue sincerity and the two vices
Vice of deficiency – self-depreciation – constantly belittling one’s own achievements
Virtue – truth – being sincere about yourself
Vice of excess - boastful - boast about own achievements 
Describe modesty and the two vices
Vice of excess - shameless- no shame to cations
Virtue - modest - modest about achievements
Vice of deficiency - bashful - overly embarrassed about ones behaviour
TheoriA
Intellectual virtues of contemplation
Which are still finally decides constitutes the good life for humans
Voluntary action
Action brought about by the will
What is the basic premise of virtue ethics
To act in a way that allows One to become a better person
What is a hybrid theory
The theory that shares traits with deontology and teleology
What society is Aristotle form
Ancient Greek
What actions are always wrong according to Aristotle
Theft
Murder
Adultery
What is flourishing
When everyone in society is aiming for eudaimonia 
What does Aristotle mean when he says theoria is highest good
Reason in intelligence is the highest aspect of human life
Contemplation of the world brings the greatest happiness
What does Peter Vardy say on virtue ethics
Outdated
Can we really base our moral principles on the idea of a wealthy straight rich white male who existed a millennia ago
What does Peter Singer say on virtue ethics
Anthropomorphic basis of this theory is another subject of virtue ethics controversy
Ignores the capacity of reason they can be found on animals
Deontix ethics are irrelevant according to anscombe
It’s boring
Provides a list of thou shall nots
Uninspiring on terms of trying to get people to be good
Strengths of virtue ethics
No strict rules to follow as rules don’t always make you a good person just blindly obedient
Maintain integrity – true to our values
Realistic - sometimes get it wrong and need to try again - this is accepted and expected
Weaknesses of virtue ethics
Subjective – no specific guidance on how to act, decide for ourselves
Conflict – virtues can come into conflict with each other for example you can’t choose to be kind and honest at the same time and virtue ethics doesn’t tell us how to choose which virtue
Anthro-centric - Put humans at the top of the hierarchy animal right supporters would disagree
