3. Virtue Ethics: Evaluation of Virtue Ethics
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 26-06-17 22:35
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- 3. Evaluation of Virtue Ethics
- Strengths
- Can function well with atheism
- Elizabeth Anscombe asserts in Modern Moral Philosophy that "a law conception of ethics" is useless in a society that "has effectively abandoned God"
- Partial
- Both Kant and MIll require impartiality for their ethical viewpoints
- Rachels comments that "it may be doubted whether impartiality is really such an important part of the moral life [...] sp,e virtues are partial and some are not. Love and friendship involve partiality"
- Rosalind Hursthouse
- Theoretical virtue ethics does not focus on whether an action reflects virtue
- She uses this to apply virtue ethics to help someone come to a decision
- Virtue ethics thus does not assert that it is able to solve every problem, but tries to equip us with the virtues to do so
- Theoretical virtue ethics does not focus on whether an action reflects virtue
- Can function well with atheism
- Criticisms
- Robert Louden
- Objects virtue ethics is a very self-centred way of looking at morality
- Rather than helping someone out of genuine concern for other person, virtue ethics encourages putting oneself first and choosing a course of action that will be most beneficial to one;s own character
- The Golden Mean
- Found in many religious systems
- Does not work for every virtue
- Alasdair MacIntyre for example, says compassion does not seem to lie between extremes
- Law conceptions of ethics are necessary to legislate against crime
- Whereas no laws can enforce courage or patience
- William Frankena has argued that "virtues without principles are blind"
- Robert Louden
- Strengths
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