virtue ethics Flashcards
1
Q
what is the eudaimonia
A
- the fulfilled life
2
Q
what is aristotles function argument
A
- everything has a function and goodness depends on performing that function well
- everything living has a soul and the nature of the soul determines the function
- the human soul is unique because it has the capacity for rational thought and reason
3
Q
what are the two parts to the soul
A
- rational
- non rational
4
Q
what are the 5 primary intellectual virtues in the rational part of the soul
A
- technical skills
- scientific knowledge
- practical wisdom
- intelligence
- theoretical wisdom
5
Q
what are the 4 secondary virtues
A
- resourcefulness
- understanding
- judgement
- cleverness
6
Q
what are the three features of the rational part of the soul
A
- the nine intellectual virtues
- these can be taught
- they are controlled by reason so contribute most to the virtuous life
7
Q
what are 5 moral virtues
A
- courage
- temperance
- generosity
- friendliness
- modesty
8
Q
what are the three features of the non rational part of the soul
A
- the 12 moral virtues
- they are formed by repetition, practice and imitating virtuous people
- these virtues are directed by the rational soul, especially by practical wisdom
9
Q
what is the doctrine of the mean
A
- helps people act virtuously
- emotions can be excessive or deficient, so practical wisdom steers a person to the mean between the two extremes: this is where the moral virtues lie
- the mean is not a fixed point or rule. it is relative to the individual and takes in the context. (when getting attacked it would not be appropriate for a soldier to respond with restraint)
10
Q
why is proper intention important in virtue ethics
A
- people are only acting virtuously if they know what they are doing (risking your life without knowing your risking your life doesn’t count)
- people are also only acting virtuously if their act is a reasoned choice
- a proper intention is essential to a virtuous action
11
Q
what is theoria
A
- the intellectual virtue of contemplation
12
Q
why is theoria the highest good for humans
A
- it leads to eudaimonia for three reasons
- reason/intelligence is the highest aspect of
human life, particularly when used in
learning - contemplation of the world leads to the
greatest happiness and because it is done
for its own sake, it is intrinsically good - theoretical reasoning is essentially
contemplation of the divine whereas
practical reason is only human
- reason/intelligence is the highest aspect of
13
Q
why do people disagree with Aristotles view on the highest human good
A
- it is seen as a subjective judgement, arising out of Aristotles personal inclinations
- most people do not have the opportunity for the contemplation he referred to
- some see human flourishing in terms of a well rounded character, with no virtue superior to another
14
Q
strengths of virtue ethics
A
- it includes and develops the whole person (intellectual and character)
- it is person centered rather than focused on rules
- it allows for making mistakes
15
Q
weaknesses of virtue ethics
A
- its ethnocentric and doesn’t account for the variety of different cultures
- its anthropocentric and ignores the needs of animals
16
Q
how would virtue ethics apply to theft
A
- aristotle denounced all theft as a base action. its included in the list of actions that has no mean
- when applied to the situation of a starving child it seems harsh however VE was addressed to his own ruling class where this would not be an issue.
- he may have seen taking what was needed
to prevent starvation as an act of justice not
theft
- he may have seen taking what was needed
17
Q
how would virtue ethics apply to lying
A
- lying would seem to contradict Aristotles moral virtue of truthfulness however unlike theft, truthfulness does have a mean
- in some circumstances, friendship, loyalty and honour might require a lie to be told
18
Q
how would virtue ethics respond to issues around embryo research, cloning and designer babies
A
- germline therapy could show a vice of too much courage, leading to recklessness
- it might seem callous and not virtuous (compassionate) to not prevent the birth of a child with a painful condition
19
Q
how would virtue ethics apply to abortion
A
- aristotle stated that abortion ‘before sense and life have begun’ should take place if there were too many children
- this was a social rather than moral judgement
20
Q
how does virtue ethics apply to euthanasia
A
- aristotle regarded murder as a vice without a mean
- he presumably agreed with the hippocratic oath
- however an integral part of the definition of murder is that its unwanted
- even so aristotle opposed suicide as it was a cowardly vice
21
Q
how does virtue ethics apply to capital punishment
A
- it applies to the virtue of justice
- the killing of murderers might be justified on the grounds that they pose a threat to the security of society
- Aristotle would have seen it as restoring a balance
- he might have seen murderers as being motivated by vices like greed deserving of the ultimate punishment
22
Q
how does virtue ethics apply to issues involving animals
A
- using modern practices of intensive farming might be incompatible with being virtuous because the ethos of making large amounts of money is greedy, mistreating animals isnt compassionate and is unjust
- cloning and animal testing is virtuous and he even dissected animals in his own research
- hard to justify blood sports
