Transcript Author: John Waters Virtue Ethics Socratic Ideas Limited © All Rights Reserved Virtue Ethics Virtue Ethics Rejects Ethics of Dilemma Approach Deontological Natural Law Kant Too Nazi Legalistic Germany Consequentialism Divine Command Egoism Utilitarian Secular Age Social Contract Conformity Lacks Intrinsic goods Agent Centred (Not Act.

Author: John Waters
Virtue Ethics
Socratic Ideas Limited © All Rights Reserved
Virtue
Ethics
Virtue Ethics Rejects
Ethics of Dilemma Approach
Deontological
Natural
Law
Kant
Too
Nazi
Legalistic Germany
Consequentialism
Divine
Command
Egoism
Utilitarian
Secular
Age
Social Contract
Conformity
Lacks
Intrinsic goods
Agent Centred
(Not Act Centred)
The “ethics of dilemma” approach to morality forgets an
essential part of ethics - THE PERSON’S CHARACTER
and how personal moral growth is encouraged.
We are not concerned to The ethical condition is
know what goodness is
not the condition of
but how to become good having a certain right
people, since otherwise theory; rather the ethical
our enquiry would be
condition is having
useless. (Aristotle)
a certain character.
Nicomachean Ethics, II
Professor Alasdair MacIntyre
1103b 27-9
After Virtue
Developing Character
Asking the Right Questions
• Who am I?
• What do I want
to become?
• How can I get there?
(James Keenan, Dialogue 15)
How To Achieve Eudaimonia
(Human Flourishing)
Aristotle defined `GOOD’ as something
that fulfils its ends purpose
The telos (end purpose) of humanity is to
be rational
The ergon (function) of reason in practice
is virtue
“The good for human beings is an activity of the
soul in accordance with arete (virtue).” (Ethics p. 76)
THINK! THINK! THINK! THINK! THINK! THINK!
• The last side is really very important!
• Students are usually good at drawing out the point
that the distinctive end purpose of human beings is
to be rational…(though do avoid lapsing into
writing about natural law!)
• However, what is frequently missed is the
significance of ergon – putting reason into
practise. This is where virtue ethics comes into its
own. Through the practise (habituation) of arete
(excellence) reason becomes an activity of the
soul, leading to eudaimonia – human flourishing.
Intellectual and Moral Virtues
• Intellectual Virtues
• Moral Virtues
• Intellectual virtues are
virtues of the mind.
• Not innate, rather they are
acquired through repetition
and practise, like learning a
music instrument.
• Such as the ability to
understand, reason and
make sound judgement
• It is through the practice and
• Intellectual virtues may be the doing that one becomes
a type of person.
taught, like logic and
mathematics by teachers. • Over a period of time virtues
become second nature.
Aristotle’s
Four Cardinal Virtues
• Justice
• Prudence
• Temperance
• Fortitude
(Determination in
the face of adversity)
G
O
L
D
E
N
M
E
A
N
“Virtue is concerned with emotions and actions, and
here excess is error and deficiency a fault, whereas
the mean is successful and commendable.
Excess
Deficiency
Virtue then is a state of deliberate moral
purpose consisting in a mean that is relative to
ourselves, the mean being determined by reason,
or as a prudent man would determine it.” Ethics
Doctrine of the Golden Mean
Excess
Mean
Deficiency
Rash
Courage
Cowardice
Profligate
Generosity
Tight!
Over-indulge
Temperance
Unimpressionable
Being Rude
Honesty
Lying
Quality vocabulary and specific examples to illustrate
your answers are always helpful.
• In an examination it is helpful to express your
ideas in a succinct and focused manner.
• Offer an example of the Golden Mean, courage is
always very clear to illustrate, and state how it
avoids excess, rashness, and deficiency, cowardice
• Finally, be alert to the way in which reason,
phronesis, is the executive (in charge), deciding
which emotions to put into practise through a
balanced appetite – so producing eudaimonia:
human flourishing.
The Golden Mean and Eudaimonia
• Golden Mean does not entail a denial of emotions.
• Rather what is at issue is how, and to what extent,
reason permits the expression of emotions.
• Aristotle developed Plato’s tripartheid teaching
of the soul by attributing virtues to each feature.
Reason = Phronesis
(Wisdom)
Eudaimonia (human
flourishing) is when there
is balance within the soul.
Emotions = Courage
Reason is the executive,
deciding when to act upon
emotions through a
balanced appetite.
Appetite = Temperance
(Self–control)
Phronesis is practical wisdom, acquired
through experience and past judgements.
P
H
R
People
are
able
to
understand
their
human
nature
O
and recognise tensions between emotions and
N
reason.
E
S
Phronesis is therefore the exercising of
I a mature will which enables a person to act
S
with wisdom and discernment.
Golden Mean
Individual in Harmony
Phronesis – Emotions - Appetite
“It is easy to become angry,
anyone can do that; but to
be angry with the right
person, to the right extent,
at the right time, in the right
way, with the right aim; that
is not easy.” (Ethics)
H
A
B
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T
U
A
T
I
O
N
• Habits form our character
• Habits are a skill which are acquired
through practise, like learning a
musical instrument.
• Takes a holistic approach
(Character viewed over a period of time)
•
“One swallow does not make a spring
so a short time does not make for a
fortunate or happy man.”
(Nicomachean Ethics)
H•
A
B
I
T
U
A
T •
I
O
N
“We acquire virtues by first doing virtuous acts.
We acquire a skill by practising the activities
involved in the skill. For example, we become
builders by building and we learn to play the
harp by playing the harp. In the same way,
we become just by doing just acts, temperate
by doing temperate acts & courageous by
doing acts of courage.” (Ethics)
“For just as one swallow or one day does not
make a spring, so one day or a short time does
not make for a fortunate or happy man.”
(Nicomachean Ethics)