Virtue Ethics

Virtue Ethics Plato, Aristotle, MacIntyre MacIntyre

Ethical theories  Kant ± duty  Util Utilit itar aria ian n ± grea greate test st good good for for gre great ates estt number   Relat lativis ivistts ± no mor moral law laws  Emo Emotivis ivistts ± follo llow emo emottion ions  Virt Virtue ue Ethi Ethics cs ± conc concen entr trat ate e on how how we we can can be better people

Plato  bor born 427 427 ± pupi pupill of Socr ocrates ates ³man man is wises isestt  who know nows he he kno know ws lit littl tle´ e´  Euth Euthy ypro pro ± do hum human ans s do what what the the gods gods comm comman and d or  do the gods command what is good  1) So comm comman ands ds of God God are are obl oblig igat ator ory y ± abso absolu lute te ± god god could command vicious actions to us see to be wrong wrong Divine Divine Command Theory ± or goodness goodness in accordance accordance with commands of loving loving god ± what is loving loving (hurting (hurting too?)  2) Good Goodne ness ss is ind indep epen ende dent nt of God God ± God God not not ult ultim imat ate e standar standard d of moralit morality y ± forms are ± God not not supr supreme eme  Plat Plato o sets sets out idea idea he he then then argu argues es agai agains nstt ± all thing things s are relativ relative e ± cold means one thing to x and another another to z  ± is it the the same same for morals morals? ?  Sugg Sugges ests ts Mor Moral al abso absolut lutes es in in each each soci societ ety y but but not not universal

 Reso Resorrts to forms orms ± forms orms of all all thi thing ngs s including goodness which can be recognized as absolutes by all  For For Plat Plato o know knowled ledge ge crea create tes s good goodne ness ss (virtue) but can have knowledge and choose choose to do do oppos opposite ite - smoking smoking  How How do we kno know w we¶v we¶ve e emer emerge ged d fro from m the the cave and aren¶t still in it (ignorance)  Advi Advice ce in day day to to day day acti action ons? s?

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 Aristotle

Anci Ancient ent Greek Greek ± Homer Homer¶s ¶s the the Odes Odesse sey y c 800bc 800bce e expl explore ores s virt virtue ue or arêt arête e± moral achievement of realizing potential as a human being Aris Aristo totl tle e ± Book Book 2 Nich Nichom omac ache hean an Ethi Ethics cs 350 350 BC BC foundat foundation ion of morali morality ty is deve developm lopment ent of good good charact character er trait traits s or virtue virtues s and lacking vices when when we we say someo someone ne is is good good we we mean there there actual actual disposit disposition ion not just just their choices choices they they make ± what kind of person person we hope to be happin happines ess s is is our aim aim but but abou aboutt living living a good life life ± devel developm opment ent of quali qualiti ties es is for social development develop developing ing virtue virtues s is a necess necessary ary feature feature of livin living g along alongsid side e othe others rs ± social social moral and political feature of life Moral oral virt virtues ues occu occurr at at a mean mean ± midpo midpoin intt ± betw betwee een n extr extrem eme e chara charact cter  er  traits Mid Mid point point betwe between en fear (cowardl (cowardly) y) and courage courage (rashne (rashness) ss) Mean not about about action actions s but but abou aboutt virt virtue ues s ± blanc blanced ed pers persona onali lity ty ± reaso reason n gives us balance and objectivity Arist Aristot otle le ± human human kin kinds ds chi chief ef char charact acteri erist stic ic is abili ability ty to to reason reason Not about about rules rules but about about trusti trusting ng a virtuou virtuous s person person to do right right thing thing in variety variety of situations situations ± each of which which is unique See p 31 31 fo for mi mid poi poin nt ta table Is itit diffi difficul cultt to to find find the the mean mean betwe between en the the extr extrem emes es? ?

Virtues we aspire to have       

Medi Mediev eval al times times ± virt virtue ues s became became known known as as card cardin inal al virt virtue ues s (card (card ± hinge) hinge) ± hinge for all moral virtues virtues Plat Plato, o, Aris Aristo totl tle e and and St St Tho Thomas mas Aqui Aquina nas s± 1) Prud Pruden ence ce ± make make good good jud judge gemen ments ts in perso persona nall affai affairs rs 2) Just Justic ice e ± exce excell llen ence ce of of the the soul soul ± relat relate e pro prope perl rly y to to othe others rs 3) Cour Courag age e ± cour courag age e ± regu regula late te pain pain and and str striv ive e to to mea mean n 4) Temp Tempe erance ± sel self con control Repres Represent ent human human quali qualitie ties s reaon sugg suggest est re re requi required red in order order to to live live a moral life and to achieve final cause or overall purpose in life.

7 Capital Capital vices ± pride, avarice (greed), lust, envy, envy, gluttony, anger and sloth  All All base based d on reaso reason n and and on sen sense se of purp purpos ose e in life life

Problems with the theory 

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Hugo Hugo Grotiu Grotius s (dutch (dutch philos philosoph opher) er) ± fails fails to explai explain n proper properly ly basic basic moral concepts concepts such as truthful truthfulness ness and justice ± no special moral insight because one is virtuous ± morality fixed in natural laws ± rationally perceived by al Revi Revive ved d in mid mid 20t 20th h C ± deve develo lope ped d it as as an appr approa oach ch to to eth ethic ics s based on qualities or virtues that are associated with someone who lives lives a good life- moves moral moral debate debate away from general general rules and principles of behaviour and toward more general questions about value and meaning in life Util Utilit itar aria iani nism sm and Kan Kanti tian an Ethi Ethics cs ± inad inadeq equa uate te and and lacke lacked d soun sound d foundation but no God as external law giver o need to move back to looking at ways to live well Alas Alasda dair ir Mac MacIn Inty tyre re ± we live live in in ethi ethica call and and mora morall con confu fusi sion on somethi something ng has undermi undermined ned moral moral reas reasoni oning ng rippi ripping ng word words s such such as as good etc etc from original original context context and surviving surviving as relics relics ± mean nothing any more

 MacInty MacIntyre re define define virtu virtue e as µ acqui acquired red human human quali quality ty the possession and exercise of which tends to enable us to achieve those goods which are internal to practices ad the lack f which effectively ef fectively prevents us from achieving any such goods¶  VE ± requ requir ires es pers person onal al resp respon onsi sibi bili lity ty ± secu secula larr ± recognizes value of relationships  VE ± natu natura rali list stic ic ± not not obe obey ying ing rul rules es but but ex expres pressi sing ng ow own nature  Takes Takes into into acc accoun ountt- needs needs and desir desires es of indiv individu iduals als and society  Virt Virtuou uous s perso person n bec become omes s so by behav behaving ing well well and in doing so so benefits society society ± VIP for Aristotle Aristotle  BUT BUT ± do we all all act act bas based ed on rati ration onal alit ity y or othe other  r  motives?

 Why no cons consen ensu sus s ± no basi basic c agr agree eeme ment nt to deal deal with ith moral chaos chaos ± society society needs to reasser reassertt Aristotle¶s Aristotle¶s virtues in society  Charac Character ters s in in society society evolv evolving ing from from socie society ty lack lacking ing virt virtue ue  ± profi profitt not not princ principl iple e ± eg manag manager ers s ± think think they they are are morally neutral- teaching teaching us to value value others less less and ourselves more  But But ± ethic ethical al sy syst stem em buil builtt on virt virtue ue unde undere remph mphas asiz izes es the substance of a persons action (consequences) and just the mere style of an agents conduct  no precis precise e guidel guidelines ines of obligat obligation ion and does not address address modern dilemmas that arise  more more moder modern n ethi ethica call theor theories ies have have wort worth h too too  virtu virtue e ethic ethics s does does not not prov provide ide a list list of prohibi prohibited ted actions actions such as murder