Virtue Ethics
Virtue Ethics
Plato, Aristotle,
Ethical theories
Ethical theories
 K
Ka
an
nt
t ±
± d
du
utty
y
 Ut
Utililit
itar
aria
ian
n ±
± gr
grea
eate
test
st go
good
od fo
for g
r gre
reat
ates
estt
numberÂ
numberÂ
 R
Re
ela
lattiv
ivis
istts
s ±
± n
no
o mo
morra
al
l la
law
ws
s
 Em
Emo
ottiv
ivis
istts
s ±
± ffo
ollllo
ow e
w emo
mottio
ion
ns
s
 Vi
Virt
rtue
ue Et
Ethi
hics
cs ±
± co
conc
ncen
entr
trat
ate
e on
on ho
how w
w we ca
e can
n
be better people
Plato
Plato
 boborrn n 42427 ±7 ± pupupipil l of of SSococrratates es ³³maman n is is wwisisesestt  wwho ho kknonowws hs he ke knonowws ls litittltle´e´
 EuEuththyyprpro ±o ± do hdo humumanans s do do whwhat tat the he gogods ds cocommmmanand d or or do the gods command what is good
do the gods command what is good
 1) 1) So So cocommmmanands ds of of GoGod d arare oe oblbligigatatorory ±y ± ababsosolulute te ±± gogodd could command
could command vicious actions vicious actions to us to us see to see to be wrbe wrong ong --Div
Divine Command ine Command Theory Theory ±± or goodnesor goodness in accs in accordanceordance with
with commands commands of of lovinloving god g god ±± what what is lis loving oving (hurt(hurtinging too?)
too?)
 2) 2) GoGoododneness ss is iis indndepepenendedent nt of Gof God ±od ± GoGod nd not uot ultltimimatatee sta
standarndard of d of moramoralitlity ±y ± forms forms are ±are ± God nGod not sot suprupremeeme  PlPlatato so sets ets out out ididea hea he te then hen arargugues es agagaiainsnst ±t ± all all thithingngss
are r
are relativelative ±e ± cold means cold means one thing one thing to x and anotheto x and another to zr to z  ±
 ± is it this it the same same for e for mormoralsals??
 SuSuggggesests Mts Mororal abal absosolutlutes ies in eacn each soh socicietety buy but not nott universal
 Re
Reso
sorrts
ts to
to ffor
orms
ms ±
± ffor
orms
ms of
of al
all t
l thi
hing
ngs
s
including goodness which can be
including goodness which can be
recognized as absolutes by all
recognized as absolutes by all
 Fo
For P
r Plat
lato kn
o know
owled
ledge cr
ge crea
eate
tes go
s good
odne
ness
ss
(virtue)
(virtue) but
but can
can have
have knowledge
knowledge and
and
choo
choose
se to d
to do op
o oppos
posite
ite -- smok
smoking
ing
 Ho
How do
w do we k
we kno
now w
w we¶v
e¶ve e
e emer
merge
ged f
d fro
rom t
m the
he
cave and aren¶t still in it (ignorance)
cave and aren¶t still in it (ignorance)
 Ad
Advi
vice
ce in
in da
day t
y to d
o day
ay ac
acti
tion
ons?
s?
 Aristotle
 Aristotle
 AnAncicient ent GrGreek ±eek ± HoHomermer¶s t¶s the Ohe Odesdessesey c 80y c 800bc0bce exe explploreores vis virtrtue or aue or arêtrête ±e ± moral achievement of realizing potential as a human being
moral achievement of realizing potential as a human being  ArArisistototltle ±e ± BoBook 2 ok 2 NiNichchomomacachehean an EtEthihics cs 35350 B0 BCC
 foufoundatndation ion of moof moralirality is dty is deveevelopmlopment ent of gooof good chad charactracter trer traitaits or vis or virtuertues ands and lacking vices
lacking vices
 whwhen wen we say se say someoomeone ine is goos good wd we mean e mean therthere acte actual ual dispdispositosition ion not jnot justust their cho
their choices theices they make ±y make ± what kind of perswhat kind of person we hope to beon we hope to be
 haphappinpinesess is is our as our aim bim but abut abouout livt living ing a good a good lilife ±fe ± devdevelelopmopment ent of quof qualialititieses is for social development
is for social development
 devdevelopeloping ing virvirtuetues is s is a neca necessessary ary feafeature ture of liof livinving ag alonglongsidside oe othethers rs ±± socisocialal moral and political feature of life
moral and political feature of life
 MMoraoral vl virtirtues ues ococcucur ar at a mt a mean ean ±± mimidpodpoinint ±t ± bebetwtweeeen exn extrtrememe che charaaractcter er traits
traits
 MiMid pod point int betbetweween en fear fear (cow(cowardlardly) y) and and courcourage age (ra(rashneshness)ss)
 MMean ean not not ababout out actactionions bs but aut aboubout vt virtirtueues ±s ± blblancanced ed pepersrsonaonalility ty ±± reareasosonn gives us balance and objectivity
gives us balance and objectivity
 ArArististototle ±le ± humhuman kan kininds cds chihief cef charharactacterieriststic ic is abis abiliility tty to reao reasonson
 Not Not abouabout rut rules les but abut about bout trutrustisting ng a vira virtuoutuous pes person rson to do rto do right ight thithing inng in variet
variety of situatiy of situations ±ons ± each of whiceach of which is uniqueh is unique  SSee ee p 3p 31 f1 foor mr miid pd poioinnt tt taabblele
Virtues we aspire to have
Virtues we aspire to have
 MeMedidieveval tial times ±mes ± vivirtrtueues becs became ame knoknown awn as cas cardrdininal vial virtrtueues (cas (card ±rd ± hinge
hinge) ±) ± hinge for hinge for all moral all moral virtuvirtueses
 PlPlatato, o, ArArisistototltle ane and Sd St Tt Thohomas mas AqAquiuinanas ±s ±
 1) 1) PrPrududenence ±ce ± makmake e gogood jod jududgegemenments ts in in pepersorsonanal afl affaifairsrs  2) 2) JuJuststicice ±e ± exexcecellllenence oce of f ththe e sousoul ±l ± relrelatate pe proropeperlrly ty to o otothehersrs  3) 3) CoCoururagage ±e ± cocoururagage ±e ± reregugulalate te papain in anand sd strtrivive te to mo meaeann  44) ) TeTempmpeerraanncce e ±± sesellf f coconnttrrooll
 RepRepresresent ent humahuman qun qualialitieties reaon ss reaon sugguggest rest re ree requiquired in red in ordorder ter to livo livee a moral life and to achieve final cause or overall purpose in life.
a moral life and to achieve final cause or overall purpose in life. 7 Capit
7 Capital vices ±al vices ± pride, avarice (greed), pride, avarice (greed), lust, envylust, envy, gluttony, anger and, gluttony, anger and sloth
sloth
Problems with the theory
Problems with the theory
 HugHugo o GroGrotiutius s (du(dutch tch phiphiloslosophopher) er) ±± failfails s to to expexplailain n proproperperly ly basbasicic moral co
moral concepts such as trncepts such as truthfuluthfulness and justice ±ness and justice ± no special moralno special moral insight because
insight because one is one is virtuous ±virtuous ± morality fixed morality fixed in natural in natural laws ±laws ± rationally perceived by al
rationally perceived by al
 ReReviviveved in mid in mid 2d 20t0th C ±h C ± dedevevelolopeped it ad it as an s an apapprproaoach tch to eo eththicicss based on qualities or virtues that are
based on qualities or virtues that are associated with someone whoassociated with someone who live
lives a good life-s a good life- moves moramoves moral debal debate away from gete away from general rules andneral rules and principles of behaviour and toward more general questions about principles of behaviour and toward more general questions about value and meaning in life
value and meaning in life
 UtUtililititarariaianinism and Ksm and Kanantitian Etan Ethihics ±cs ± ininadadeqequauate ante and lad lackecked sod sounundd foundation but no God as external law
foundation but no God as external law giver o need to move back togiver o need to move back to looking at ways to live well
looking at ways to live well
 AlAlasasdadair Mir MacacInIntytyre ±re ± we we lilive ive in etn ethihicacal anl and mod moraral cl cononfufusisionon
 somesomethithing ng has has undundermiermined ned moramoral rl reaseasonioning ring rippipping wng wordords sucs such ah ass good et
good etc from oric from original conteginal context and survixt and surviving as relicving as relics ±s ± meanmean nothing any more
 MacMacIntyIntyre re defindefine e vivirturtue as e as µ acµ acquiquired red humahuman qn qualiuality ty thethe possession and exercise of which tends to enable us to possession and exercise of which tends to enable us to achieve those goods which are internal to practices ad achieve those goods which are internal to practices ad the lack f which ef
the lack f which effectively prevents us from achievingfectively prevents us from achieving any such goods¶
any such goods¶
 VE VE ±± rereququirires es pepersrsononal al rerespspononsisibibilility ty ±± sesecuculalar r ±± recognizes value of relationships
recognizes value of relationships
 VE VE ±± nanatuturaraliliststic ic ±± nonot ot obebeyyining rg rulules es bubut et exxprpresessising ong owwnn nature
nature
 TakTakes es ininto ato accccounount-t- neeneeds ds and and desdesirires es of of indindivividuiduals als andand society
society
 ViVirtrtuouuous s perpersoson bn bececomeomes s so so by by behbehavaving ing wewell ll and and inin doing s
doing so benefits o benefits societsociety ±y ± VIP for VIP for ArisAristotletotle
 BUBUT ±T ± do do wwe ale all acl act bt basased ed on on raratitiononalalitity or y or ototheher r motives?
 Why Why no no coconsnsenensusus s ±± no no babasisic ac agrgreeeemement nt to to dedeal al wwitithh moral c
moral chaos ±haos ± societsociety needs to ry needs to reassereassert Arist Aristotle¶stotle¶s virtues in society
virtues in society
 ChaCharacracterters is in socn society iety evoevolvlving froing from som socieciety lty lackacking ving virtirtueue  ±
 ± prprofiofit not not prt princincipliple ±e ± eg maeg managnagerers ±s ± thithink tnk they hey araree morally
morally neutral-neutral- teachinteaching us to vag us to value others leslue others less ands and ourselves more
ourselves more
 BuBut ±t ± ethethicical al sysyststem bem builuilt on t on vivirtrtue uue undendereremphmphasasizizes es thethe substance of a persons action (consequences) and just substance of a persons action (consequences) and just the mere style of an agents conduct
the mere style of an agents conduct
 no no prepreciscise gue guidelidelines ines of of obliobligatgation ion and and does does not not addraddressess modern dilemmas that arise
modern dilemmas that arise
 mormore moe moderdern en ethithicacal thl theoreories ies havhave woe wortrth toh tooo
 vivirturtue ete ethichics dos does nes not pot provrovide a ide a lislist of t of proprohibihibited ted actiactionsons such as murderÂ