Virtue Ethics Flashcards
What did Aristotle say regarding virtue ethics?
“we are what we do repeatedly. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit”
what did Aristotles quote mean?
-goodness comes from your character
-lifelong task of repeatedly doing good actions/ consistently practising virtuous behaviour
What is virtue ethics?
-it’s a character based approach
-by practising good characteristics(being honest, brave, just, generous etc..)a person develops an honourable and moral character
-the more you practise virtue, the more you use your virtue correctly
what is virtue ethics based on?
-it’s based on emulating(copying) the behaviour of those considered virtuous
-Aristotle believed it possible that, by practise, virtue would become effortless.
-Virtue ethics is concerned with the development of one’s character
What did Aristotle argue about human ‘telos’
Aristotle argued that all humans had a ‘telos’ to become a better person; to flourish to the best version of themselves
What did Aristotle argue about human ‘telos’
Aristotle argued that all humans had a ‘telos’ to become a better person; to flourish to the best version of themselves
What is the aim of virtue ethics?
-For every person to reach the ultimate goal, known as eduaimonia
Therefore, followers of virtue ethics act in a way that help them to become morally perfect overtime
Is virtue ethics deontological or teleological?
It’s neither
How do humans flourish?
Through correct use of their reason(this is how we achieve eudiamonia)
What is a vice?
a bad quality or immoral behaviour
vices are a barrier to human flourishing
Aristotle distinguished between 3 types or happiness. What are they?
1.pleasure seekers:driven by basic desires and simply live from one pleasurable experience to the next
2.seekers of honour:people who try to find solutions to important problems and get a sense of honour from doing that (eg politicians)
3.those who love contemplation:philosophers and thinkers.
For Aristotle, the intellectual virtue of theoria(contemplation) is the highest good for humanity
What does Aristotle believe about reason?
reason is the highest aspect of human life
What is the most importance way we use our reason?
In intellectual contemplation. This means using our minds to understand the truth about the world and make sense of life. Aristotle thought that when we do this, we achieve the highest form of happiness, because we are using what makes us uniquely human: our intelligence
Why is contemplation so special?
-It’s down for its own sake.
-It’s the highest use of our intelligence
What is eudaimonia?
it’s the supreme goal of human life
it’s a greek word that roughly translates to mean ‘happiness’ or ‘flourishing’
What is a superior aim?
superior sims are those that focus on the end goal
what are subordinate aims?
subordinate aims are the means of getting there
What did Aristotle believe about the superior and subordinate aims of life?
He believed that the superior aim of life is the ‘good’ for oneself and humanity; therefore, the subordinate aim will be the growth of one’s character through practising virtues
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What is Aristotle’s function argument?
- all objects have a telos
- an object is good when is properly secures its telos
- the telos of a human being is to reason
- the good for a human being is, therefore, acting in accordance with reason
an object is only good when it fulfills the purpose that it was made for
what is Aristotle’s hierarchy of souls?
a framework he uses to explain different levels of life and existence in living organisms.
What is Aristotle’s hierarchy of souls?
plants->animals->humans
What does function mean and how does it relate to humans.
-function depends on the nature of the soul
-For humans this is to exercise reason and the rational part of the soul, which is unique to humans.
-Aristotle believes humans can reason well and best when they exercise virtue (moral excellence).
This helps them reach their telos.
What are the 2 parts of the human soul
the rational and the irrational
what is the rational soul
the part that’s based on logic, facts and the truth of the world
what is the irrational soul?
the part that’s based on emotions, desires and instincts
Aristotle sees happiness as…
the goal in life
What did Aristotle say about the necessity of developing virtues?
He said that virtues is a necessary feature of living alongside others- it is therefore a social, political and moral feature of life, not just a personal one.
Aristotle placed importance on communal flourishing. What does communal flourishing mean?
Aristotle believed that we are all part of communities and should concern ourselves with the overall well being of society.
1 good action is not enough- it is not transformative.
What are the 2 categories of virtue?
moral virtues
intellectual virtues
What are moral virtues?
-qualities of character e.g bravery, courage
-these are practised. they are brought about by repeatedly doing the action:habit
-learnt through experience
what are intellectual virtues
-qualities of the mind
-these are taught and improved by instruction
-aristotle’s virtues include things like:
•scientific knowledge
•intuition(e.g instinct)
•prudence
•good deliberation
What are the 5 intellectual virtues
•prudence-the 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-the ability to understand and test facts
•art/craft-special skills and arts that we are trained in
what is the golden mean?
the midpoint of two extremes(vices). practical wisdom steers a person to this. it is also where the virtue lies.
How is the golden mean not fixed?
It is relative to each situation; it takes into account the circumstances
What is phronesis?
The ability to find the middle ground in any given situation. This doesn’t come gradually- it requires experience and conscious effort.
What is a phronimos?
The person who has mastered phronesis is known as the phronimos
What did recognise recognise about the golden mean?
it is unlikely that people will hit the golden mean the first time
What did Aristotle say about the intentions of an action?
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 be accidentally virtuous.
according to aristotle, what is justice?
justice is concerned with fairness
Justice means making sure all goods in the community should be distributed so each person receives what is proportional to his merit.
according to aristotle, what is friendship?
Aristotle believed that friendship was an important social virtue that needed to be developed within society as a whole, to encourage personal, as well as societal and flourishing.
Friendship can only thrive when both parties involved contribute to virtuous actions
What does Aristotle believe is the highest aspect of human life?
Reason and intelligence is the highest aspect of human life, particularly when used for the highest object of knowledge, which is scientific investigation (discovering the nature of the world).
What does contemplation of the world do?
Contemplation of the world brings the greatest happiness, because it is done for its own sake; it is intrinsically good.
What are the different parts of the soul?
the irrational soul
the rational soul
What is the rational soul?
Intellectual Virtues are developed here, and they are the highest virtues because they help us understand the world and make sound decisions. These virtues are about using reason well and can be taught or learned through education.
Give 2 examples of the rational soul?
Theoretical wisdom (Sophia): Knowledge through philosophy, science, and logic.
Practical wisdom (Phronesis): Using reason to navigate everyday situations wisely, applying past experiences and good judgment.
What are intellectual virtues
These are qualities of the mind that help us understand the world and make good decisions.
We develop them by being taught or learning from others.
Examples:
Scientific knowledge (facts about the universe).
• Intuition (gut feelings or instincts).
What is the irrational soul
Includes desires, emotions, and instincts.
Although irrational, it is guided by the rational soul. This is where moral virtues come in.
They are about controlling and shaping our desires to align with reason.
What are moral virtues
These are character traits like bravery, patience, and honesty.
We develop them repeatedly. The more you practice, the more these traits become part of your character.They’re learned habit and experience. By acting in virtuous ways, your irrational soul learns to control desires and emotions.
How do moral virtues and intellectual virtues link to the soul?
Moral virtues help shape the irrational soul (our desires and emotions) by training us to act in virtuous ways through habit and practice.
• Intellectual virtues shape the rational soul (our ability to reason) by helping us think and understand better through learning and instruction.
How is eudaimonia achieved?(relating to the rational and irrational soul)
Eudaimonia is achieved when both the rational and irrational parts of the soul work harmoniously (together):
Intellectual virtues allow us to think and act wisely.
Moral virtues, cultivated through habit, help us live ethically and in harmony with others.
Explain how the irrational and rational souls work with generosity
To become generous:
Irrational Soul: Practice the habit of giving regularly, training your desires to align
with generosity.
Rational Soul: Use practical wisdom to decide when, how, and to whom to give appropriately. ‘s not about giving recklessly but giving in a thoughtful way that contributes to the good life.
What are some strengths of virtue ethics?
- not a list of absolute rules
-not dependent on God
What are some criticisms of virtue ethics?
Peter Vardy:
-outdated origins
-can we really base our moral minciples on the ideas of a wealthy, straight, rich, white man who existed many millennia ago?
Peter Singer:
-The antropomorphic basis of this theory is
another subject of virtue ethics’ controversy ,as it ignores the capacity of reason that can actually be found in animals.
