Virtue Ethics

Question 1

Aristotle’s Virtue theory

Answer 1

Aristotle’s virtue theory is a normative theory

but it is unlike the others because it tells us what kind of person to be rather than giving us rules or principles to follow.

(that means it is a theory which tells us how to behave)

Question 2

Telos

Answer 2

For Aristotle there is an aim (or to use the correct Greek word a telos) to everything that we do.

By writing these notes my telos is your clear understanding of these ideas. We have two types of aims: superior aims and subordinate aims.

Question 3

Superior

Answer 3

Superior aims are our final
goals

Question 4

Suboridnate

Answer 4

whereas subordinate aims are the things that we have to do to get them.

Question 5

EUDAMONIA

Answer 5

For Aristotle everyone’s final, superior aim is happiness.

We use the word eudaimonia because Aristotle was talking about a slightly different idea of happiness than we have today. We could
desribe eudaimonia as ‘living well’ or ‘flourishing’. Not just for yourself
but for society.

Question 6

Three types of happiness

Answer 6

• Those who love pleasure (food, sex, drugs, rock n roll)
• Those who love honour (soldiers, politicians etc)
• Those who love thinking (philosophers, scientists etc)

Question 7

Purpose of life

Answer 7

Aristotle argued that EUDAIMONIA WAS
ACHIEVED THROUGH THE ONGOING EXERCISE OF REASON.

Question 8

Potential

Answer 8

Aristotle argued that everybody has the potential to become virtuous but not everybody actually will.

Question 9

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY VIRTUOUS?

Answer 9

Aristotle said that we should try to become virtuous in two ways:

Morally (developing a good character), and

Intelectually (developing a good mind).

Question 10

WHAT ARE THE MORAL VIRTUES?

Answer 10

 COURAGE
 TEMPERANCE (this means doing things in moderation)
 GENEROSITY
 MAGNIFICENCE (this means being good without being petty or being vulgar and overbearing)
 CONFIDENCE
 PROPER AMBITION
 PATIENCE
 TRUTHFULNESS
 WITTINESS
 FRIENDLINESS
 MODESTY
 RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION (this means getting annoyed by
things that you should get annoyed about to the right extent)

Aristotle believed that for all of these virtues that if you had too much
or too little of them then you had a problem.

Question 11

The golden mean

Answer 11

This name is supposed to suggest following some kind of middle way between too much and too little of the virtues.

The golden mean or middle way won’t be the same for each situation we are in,

Question 12

HOW DO WE USE VIRTUE ETHICS TO MAKE AN ACTUAL
MORAL DECISION?

Answer 12

follower of virtue ethics could say that we should follow the example of a good person and do what they would do.

we could look at the virtues and work out what we should
do from them.

we could think about how best to achieve eudaimonia.

we have to practise our virtue then we will make the
right choice in the situation without having to think it through.