Virtue Ethics

Virtue Ethics is a relative teleological theory that focusaes on building character via virtues to reach eudaimonia.

Aristotle put forward Virtue ethicswith the claim that every action is aimed toward some good, most agree this good is happiness.

Material - Made of

Formal - Shared qualities

Efficient - What brought it about?

Final -Purpose or goal

What do we have to do to get there?

- Practice and cultivate virtues using the golden mean

- Exercise moral and intellectual virtues

- Theoria: contemplation of the divine

What is Eudaimonia?

-Aristotle said: ''Eudaimonia is that which is the good for humans, defined variously as pleasure, honour and happiness, complete well being.''

According to Aristotle the soul is made up of two parts, the rational and non-rational.

The rational half of the soul is divided into scientific and calculative. Scientific focuses on logic facts and the turth whereas calculative focuses on wighing up and choosing.

The non-rational half of the soul is spit into desirative and vegetative. The desirative focuses on wants and desires whereas the vegetaitive focuses on needs and instincts.

-Aristotle explained that souls have different characteristics depending on the organism. Plants are vegetative souls that focus on nutrition and growth, Animals are sensitive souls focused on movement, sense perception and low level thought and Humans are rational souls focused on all of the above with added reason.

1) Every 'body' has a soul

2) Souls exist in a hierarchy

3) Function depends on the nature of the soul such as humans needing to fullfill reason as it is their characteristic or plants needing to fullfill nutrition and growth as it is their characteristic.

4) Humans exercise reason which is unique to them

5) Purpose of humans us to focus on the rational soul

6)A good life is one in which we exercise reason well , meaning exercising virtue with moral exellence and theoria

Intellectual:

Developed through study and reflection.

E.g// Friendship, Justice, Prudence

Moral:

Formed by habit.

E.g// Courage, Temperance, Generosity

Cardinal Virtues:

Courage, Prudence, Justice and Temperance 

The Golden mean is the perfect balance between two extremes of too much and too little virtue.

An extreme of a virtue is called a vice.

E.g// Courage

Vices of cowardliness and foolishness

Varies deoending on the situation and you as an individual

Utility: Affection people recieve based on the good they recieve from eachother. Known as useful friendships for example the person you sit next to in class.

Pleasure: Affection based on good they recieve. For example someone witty makes their pleasure friends laugh.

Perfect: Based on goodness and is long lasting. Usually exists between those alike in excellennce and virtue. You love the friend as another version of yourself. For example a marriage.

Theoria is contemplation.

Contemplation gives happiness as we can do it whenever we like and it has intrinsic value as it is done for its own sake.

Also it is in effect contemplation of the divine so theoretical reasoning, according to Aristotle is the greatest thing we can do. Practical reasoning is merely human.

Aristotle said only voluntary actions can be virtuous as they have intention. What we do by choice reveals our character.

A proper intention is needed to carry out a virtuous action.This does not include desire or opinion and must be a choice made on the basis of reason.

• Ignores cultural relativism: societies have different ideas about what is and isnt virtuous.
• Circular reasoning
• Lack of respect for perfect virtuous person
• Modern Relevance: He wrote for 4th Century BCE noblemen, how can this apply to modern ideas such as IVF or Homosexuality today?
• Can beocme rules: Person of practical wisdom makes decisions about the mean for each virtue which could then become the rule.
• Too Anthropocenric: Devalues animal intelligence
• Difficult to apply to issues: Such as IVF,Cloning
• Rules are necessary for those who do not act virtuously

• Holistic: Takes a broad view of the individual
• Person centred: Values moral character and requires personal autonomy
• Benefits Society: Shared view of virtues, shared goal
• Flexible: golden mean allows relativity to you and your situation
• Realistic: Doesnt claim there is one way to handle every situation(relate to flexible)
• Allows Development: You develop rather than try to be something or follow a rule.

Elizabeth Anscombe: ethical absoloutes and laws dont exist in a secualr society, morality is based on flourishing(S)

Richard Taylor: Rejected society based on divine command, religion does not necessarily give good values and cannot reach full potential

Philipa Foot: Virtues help to achieve happiness but cannot ensure it (S+C)

Alastair MacIntyre: A useful system, realistic practical (S)

Susan Wolf: People dislike moral saints, wouldnt want to be a perfect person (C)

Julia Annas: An old idea idnt necessarily a good idea, should not rely on the philosophy of the acient greeks (C)

Robert Louden: Virtue ethics doesnt provide answers to specific moral dilemmas such as euthanasiaand doesnt provide a list of intolerable acts such as ****. (C)

Aristotle says theft is a base action, there is no way a person can commit theft well or not well.

However he did refer to justice which is about fairness and restoring the distribution of gain and loss. Almost like 'an eye for an eye'.

*Aristotle's audience was noblemen who were regarded as base if they stole between members of class.

Aristotle would point out the virtues of honesty and truthfulness would forbid lying, courage and justice also require truth to be told.

Being honest is related to how we act socially.

Virtues work together to form a synergy, meaning individual virtues work together to form something of greater power than each virtue on its own.

In being honest we need truthfulness, courage and temperance. We also need to be high minded and friendly when giving others their due and feel just resentment when others are not given their due. Practical wisdom shows us we cannot isolate honesty from the other virtues.