Chapter 5

Chapter 5
VIRTUE ETHICS
Aristotelian Ethics
LESSON OBJECTIVES
to discuss the meaning and basic principles of
virtue ethics;
to distinguish virtuous acts from non-virtuous
acts;
to apply virtue ethics in understanding a
person’s character
Aristotelian Virtue Ethics
Aristotle (384–322 BC)

The Function Argument
TELEOLOGIST
VS
TELEOLOGICAL
FUNCTION
GOOD
Function Argument
1. All objects have a telos.

2. An object is good when it properly secures its
telos.
 3. The telos of a human being is to reason.
 4. The good for a human being is, therefore,
acting in accordance with reason.
ARE YOU LIVING YOUR LIFE
YOU THINK YOU SHOULD?
O R K IN G
E Y O U W
AR A LS Y O U
A R D S G O
TOW A L L Y
A C T U
A B O U T ?
C A R E
Aristotelian Goodness
GOOD LIFE
TELOS
AIM AND
END OF
HUMAN ACT
EXISTENCE
RATIONALLY
AS FLOURISHING
Man does not act aimlessly .
When he acts, it is because

he enjoys the action or because he wants
to achieve something by that action
VS
LIFE IS EUDAIMON
when it involves “…the
active exercise of the
mind in conformity
with perfect goodness
or virtue”
Eudaimonia and Virtue
According to Aristotle, virtues are character
dispositions or personality traits.
Aristotelian Virtue Ethics the label of being an
agent-centred moral theory rather than an act-
centred moral theory.
actions are bearers the primary focus is
of moral value on people and their
characters
ACT
CENTERED VS
DEONTOLOGY VIRTUE
UTILITARIANISM ETHICS
RECALL
N G
H I
IS
GOOD LIFE R S
O U E S
TELOS FL
P I N
FE
P L I
H A S
U O
T U
UR
AIM AND
V
END OF
HUMAN ACT
EXISTENCE
RATIONALLY
WHAT ARE VIRTUES?
THE EXPERIENCE
OF ANGER
IT
IRA
SPIR
SCI
K OF
GOOD TEMPER
BI L
ITY
LAC
VIRTUE
A state of character
concerned with choice,
lying in a mean
(i.e., a mean relative to us)
this being determined by rational principles,
and by that principle by which the man of
practical wisdom would determine it
VIRTUE
ἀρετή
EXCESS DEFFICIENCY
MESOTES
μεσότης
THE GOLDEN MEAN
THE GOLDEN MEAN
Feeling/Emotion Vice of Deficiency Virtuous Vice of Excess
Disposition
(Golden Mean)
Anger Lack of spirit Good Temper Irascibility

Shame Shyness Modesty shamefulness
Fear ? Courage ?
indignation spitefulness ? Envy
THE GOLDEN MEAN
Aristotle also suggests that we may
virtuously respond to situations.
Situation Vice of Virtuous Vice of Excess
Deficiency Disposition
(Golden Mean)
Social Conduct Cantankerousness ? Self-serving
flattery
Conversation ? wittiness buffoonery
Giving money stinginess generosity ?
THE GOLDEN MEAN
WHAT THEN DO WE MEAN BY

THE CONCEPT “MEAN” IN THE
CONTEXT OF THE
GOLDEN MEAN?
IS THE MEAN BETWEEN
TWO EXTREMES
“IN MEDIO STAT VIRTUS”
BALANCE
PAGKAEKSAKTO MODERATION
WHY ARE VIRTUES
IMPORTANT?
Virtuous person will fare better in life.
 Virtues are needed to live well
We need virtues to live in community with others
Necessary to pursue our own ends and cope with life’s
challenges
ASSIGNMENT: List down the vices in the following
virtues of Filipinos.
Pagkukulang Birtud Pagmamalabis
walang hiya hiya Sobrang mahiyain
? Utang na loob ?
? pakikisama ?
? Magiliw sa bisita ?
? makapamilya ?
? relihiyoso ?
HOW DO WE
DEVELOP
VIRTUES?
VOLUNTARY ACTIONS
an action is voluntary when it is freely chosen
a person might be held to be morally
responsible for their voluntary actions
According to Aristotle, an action is voluntary
unless it is affected by force or ignorance
INVOLUNTARY ACTIONS
Physical Force
Psychological Force
Action from Ignorance
Action in Ignorance
Action from Ignorance with No Regret
Objection: Unclear Guidance
Consider yourself caught in the middle of a moral dilemma.
Wanting to know what to do you may consult the guidance
offered by Utilitarianism or Kantian Ethics and discover that
various specific actions you could undertake are morally right or
morally wrong. Moving to seek the advice of Aristotelian Virtue
Ethics, you may find cold comfort from suggestions that you act
generously, patiently and modestly while avoiding self-serving
flattery and envy. Rather than knowing how to live in general, you
may seek knowledge of what to actually do in this case. Virtue
Ethics may therefore be accused of being a theory, not of helpful
moral guidance, but of unhelpful and nonspecific moral platitudes.
Objection: Clashing Virtues
Related to the general objection from lack of
guidance, a developed objection may question
how we are supposed to cope with situations in
which virtues seem to clash. Courageous
behaviour may, in certain cases, mean a lack of
friendliness; generosity may threaten modesty.
In these situations, the suggestion to “be
virtuous” may again seem to be unhelpfully
vague.
Objection: Circularity
1. An act is virtuous if it is an act that a virtuous

person would commit in that circumstance.
2. A person is virtuous when they act in virtuous
ways.
This, however, looks to be circular reasoning. If
virtuous actions are understood in terms of
virtuous people, but virtuous people are
understood in terms of virtuous actions, then we
have unhelpfully circular reasoning.
Objection: Contribution to Eudaimonia
The final distinct objection to Aristotelian Virtue
Ethics considered in this chapter stems from the
Aristotelian claim that living virtuously will
contribute to our ability to secure a eudaimon
life. A challenge to this view may be based on
the fact that certain dispositions may seem to be
virtuous but may not actually seem to contribute
to our flourishing or securing the good life.
Moral Good and Individual Good
For Aristotle, moral goodness and individual
goodness may seem to be intimately linked.
After all, a virtuous person will be charitable and
friendly etc. and as a result of these
characteristics and dispositions will both
advance their own journey towards eudaimonia
and make life better for others.
It is important to note, as we conclude this chapter,
that Aristotle does not suggest that living a virtuous
life is sufficient to guarantee a state of eudaimonia
for a person. External factors such as poverty,
disease or untimely death may scupper a person’s
advance towards eudaimonia. However, for
Aristotle, being virtuous is necessary for the
achievement of eudaimonia; without the
development of virtues it is impossible for a person
to flourish even if they avoid poverty, disease,
loneliness etc.
SUMMARY
Aristotelian Virtue Ethics is very different in nature to the
other act-centred normative moral theories. Whether this,
in itself, is a virtue or a vice is an issue for your own
judgment. The lack of a codified and fixed moral rule book
is something many view as a flaw, while others perceive it
as the key strength of the theory. Some, meanwhile, will
feel uncomfortable with Aristotle’s teleological claims,
differing from those who are happy to accept that there is
an objectively good life that is possible for human beings.
Regardless, there is little doubt that Aristotelian Virtue
Ethics offers a distinct normative moral picture and that it
is a theory worthy of your reflections.
ISSUES TO CONSIDER
 1. Who has the better life — the happy hedonist or the virtuous individual?
 2. Are the virtues fixed and absolute? Or can virtues be relative to culture and time?
 3. Is becoming moral a skill? Is morality based on “knowing that” or “knowing how”?
 4. Can Virtue Ethics offer useful guidance?
 5. Is the Golden Mean a useful way of working out virtuous characteristics?
 6. Are some virtues more important than others? Why?
 7. Can you think of a virtue that does not contribute to eudaimonia?
 8. Can you think of something that contributes to eudaimonia that is not a virtue?
 9. If there is no purpose to life, is there any point in subscribing to Aristotelian Virtue Ethics?
 10. What should you do if virtues seem to clash when faced with different possible actions?
 11. Who might count as virtuous role models and why?
 12. Do human beings have a telos or proper function?

Chapter 5 - Virtue Ethics

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 5 - Virtue Ethics

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 5 - Virtue Ethics

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Aristotle (384–322 BC)

1. All objects have a telos.

When he acts, it is because

Anger Lack of spirit Good Temper Irascibility

WHAT THEN DO WE MEAN BY

1. An act is virtuous if it is an act that a virtuous

You might also like