Virtue Ethics Flashcards
Virtue
A disposition which is to be valued
Eudaimonia
that which is the good for humans, defined variously as: happiness, complete well-being, flourishing
defined finally as the intellectual virtue of theoria - (scientific) contemplation
The Function Argument
The human good is a function of the soul in accord with virtue
What is virtue in a human?
the habit of choosing the mean between the extremes
virtuous person: one who has cultivated all the virtues and fully developed the habit of choosing the golden mean
defined by the natural characteristics of the human soul - the form or blueprint of the body
The function of humans
The exercise of reason/the rational part of the soul
The two aspects of the human soul
rational and non-rational
Types of virtues
intellectual
- the rational soul has intellectual virtues
moral
- the non-rational soul has moral virtues
examples of moral virtues
courage, patience, modesty, temperance
examples of intellectual virtues
- theoretical virtues (e.g., maths, physics, philosophy)
- practical virtues (e.g., understanding, judgement, practical wisdom)
intellectual virtues contribute most to the good life, as they are under the control of reason
What must a virtuous person do?
- know what he/she is doing in any situation, and not act through ignorance
- choose to act virtuously
The doctrine of the mean
A virtuous person must seek the middle way, between the two vices of excess and deficiency
Strengths
- holistic: the whole personality is considered
- anthropocentric
- allows for moral judgement
- does not make the claim that there is a perfect solution for every moral problem, but instead equips people to deal with these problems
- has a teleological focus of eudaimonia
- doctrine of the mean means virtue ethics is flexible with regard to situations and persons
- sees human emotions as important
Weaknesses
- ignores cultural relativism
- circular
- only good for individual morality, and not for politics and governments
- Function Argument commits the Fallacy of Composition
- anthropocentric
- people need laws in order to have an understanding of what they should and shouldn’t do - some will refuse to act virtuously
- virtuous people can be dull, and most people admire the kind of character that does not conform to rules or common ideas of virtue
phronimos
the man of practical wisdom who is best qualified to define virtuous behaviour in any situation, his practical wisdom having been acquired by constant practice and habit
the ‘nested’ hierarchy
Each level of the hierarchy has all the characteristics of the lower degrees, so humans possess all the functions and capabilities of plants and animals and possess rationality in addition to those
altruism
love of others, as opposed to egoism (love of self)
anthropocentric
human-centred
function
[ergon] ‘work’, or ‘accomplishment’
something is ‘good’ if it fulfills its function
temperance
the virtue of self-control
excess: licentiousness
deficiency: insensibility
courage
the virtue in the field of fear and confidence
excess: foolhardiness
deficiency: cowardice
justice
a virtue that concerns not just legality, but the whole system of law, rule and custom
- distributional - proportional distribution of goods in a community
- rectifying - restoring the distribution of gain and loss between two people
considers the good of others as an end in itself, and therefore an altruistic virtue
friendship
Aristotle discusses three kinds of friendship, based on usefulness, pleasure and goodness
- altruistic virtue
- friendship based on goodness is the perfect type of friendship that exists between good men who are alike in excellence or virtue
virtue and intention
- the agent must have a proper intention
- a proper intention does not include desire, wish or opinion
- one can only intend something which one has the power to do
moral virtues
habits developed through practice and which emphasise the ‘Golden Mean’
non-rational soul
refers to emotions and appetites (not irrational)