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The concept of Virtue Ethics, primarily based on Aristotle's teachings in his Nichomachean Ethics. Learn about the difference between virtue ethics and other forms of ethics, the importance of character and practical knowledge, and the golden mean. Discover how virtue ethics can help us understand what makes human beings distinct and how to live a good life.
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A. What is Virtue Ethics?A. What is Virtue Ethics?
A. What is Virtue Ethics?A. What is Virtue Ethics?
A. What is Virtue Ethics?A. What is Virtue Ethics?
And consider what about their personalities made them virtuous.
The notion of character is the morally more important concept.
E.g. grenade example.
B. Aristotle on Moral KnowledgeB. Aristotle on Moral Knowledge
Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
practical knowledge ( phronesis ): aims at wisdom about how to act and what to be.
C. Aristotle on the GoodC. Aristotle on the Good
a) Explains functions in terms of what makes somewhat what it is.
Something is a knife because it can be used to cut things.
b) What makes human beings distinct is our capacity for rational behavior , gaining knowledge and acting on reasons.
D. What is a Virtue?D. What is a Virtue?
(Examples include bravery , generosity , friendliness , etc.)
A person who “feels” brave but does not act on it is not brave.
A person who is just born a certain way is not virtuous in virtue of being born that way.
A person who does something brave or generous once is not a brave or generous person.
D. What is a Virtue?D. What is a Virtue?
a) A disposition is a tendency , a characteristic that regularly brings one to reason and act in a certain way.
b) A friendly person is a person who tends to act in a friendly manner on a regular basis.
(This does not mean that there can be no exceptions, especially in unusual circumstances.)
E. The Golden MeanE. The Golden Mean
Bravery is the mean or intermediate between cowardliness and rashness.
F. Some ExamplesF. Some Examples
a) He means that the mean might be different for different people at different times.
b) The same amount of food may be too much for one person, but just the right amount for someone else
c) An appropriate kind of sense of humor for a comedian might not be appropriate for a funeral director
G. AristotleG. Aristotle’’s Advice on Achieving Virtues Advice on Achieving Virtue
If need be, err on the side of the extreme closer to the virtue.
H. Criticisms of AristotleH. Criticisms of Aristotle’’s Virtue Ethicss Virtue Ethics
(a) the mean is the strict average, or
(b) the mean is determined in some other way
H. Criticisms of AristotleH. Criticisms of Aristotle’’s Virtue Ethicss Virtue Ethics
c) An argument against thinking of the mean as just an average:
(P1) If the averagist interpretation of Aristotle’s theory of virtue is the correct theory of virtue, then it is logically impossible for the average person to be too lazy, or not generous enough, etc. (P2) It is not logically possible for the average person to be too lazy, or not generous enough, etc. (C) The averagist interpretation of Aristotle’s theory of virtue is not the correct theory of virtue.
H. Criticisms of AristotleH. Criticisms of Aristotle’’s Virtue Ethicss Virtue Ethics
a) Modern psychology tells us that character traits depend largely on genetics and early environment.
b) But doesn’t being moral just depend on being the person you can be in the situations you are in.
H. Criticisms of AristotleH. Criticisms of Aristotle’’s Virtue Ethicss Virtue Ethics
An argument based on this objection: (P1) If Aristotle’s virtue ethics is correct, then whether or not a person is moral depends mostly on factors outside of that person’s control.
(P2) Whether or not a person is moral does not depend on factor’s outside of that person’s control.
(C) Aristotle’s virtue ethics is not true. What do you think?