Virtue Ethics

Question 1

Describe the origins of virtue ethics - Aristotle

Answer 1

• Aristotle asserted that all human beings have a purpose in this life, and ethics involves attempting to identify that goal.
• the aim of virtue ethics therefore is gor everyone to reach eudaemonia through the development of the virtues
• virtue ethics is based on emulation gate behaviour of virtuous people = Aristotle believed that by practice this would become effortless
• Virtue ethics isn’t concerned with actions/duties/consequences, but rather the question of ‘what sort of person should I be’, and is concerned with the development of the character

Question 2

Describe Aristotle’s belief in the hierarchy of souls

Answer 2

philosophers - politicians = people

Question 3

Describe eudaemonia

Answer 3

• The good life for humans is achieved when we act in accordance with our telos
• Aristotle argued that all humans are aiming for something positive in the way they behave, aiming to bring about good consequences. The perfect telos is eudaemonia which is the supreme goal of human life,.
• Aristotle argued this aim should govern our lives, and it is achieved through virtue and practice
  ‘Happiness then is found to be something perfect and self sufficient, being the end to which our actions are directed’
• Aristotle drew a distinction between superior and subordinate aims. Superior aims are those which focus on the end goal, whilst subordinate aims are the means of getting there. the superior aim of life is good for oneself therefore the subordinate aim will be the development of character through virtue

Question 4

Describe the function argument

Answer 4

• All objects have a telos
  = an object is good when it properly secures its telos
• the telos of humans is to reason, therefore the good for humans is acting in accordance with reason.
• in working out our true function, Aristotle looks to the feature which seperates man from other living animal - our ability to reason and to act on reason.
  ‘humans are rational animals’
• Function depends on the nature of the soul - for humans this is to exercise reason, which is unique to us. Aristotle argued that we reason well and act best when we exercise virtue to reach our telos
• virtue ethics therefore argues that humans must practice aiming for a good telos by being ethical over an entire lifetime until it becomes habitual.

Question 5

Describe the l virtues

Answer 5

• practical wisdom is the sum of moral skill and moral will
  ‘ the good for man is an activity of the Soul in accordance with virtue;
• because Aristotle belied in eudaemonia as the goal in life he argued developing the virtues is a necessary feature of living alongside others,

Question 6

Describe moral virtues

Answer 6

• moral virtues are qualities of character developed through habit and learned through experience like bravery
• he argued they lie between the vice of excess and deficiency and we use practical wisdom to establish this

Question 7

Describe the intellectual virtues

Answer 7

• these are qualities of the min, which are developed by instruction like scientific knowledge, intuition and prudn==ence

Question 8

Describe the golden mean

Answer 8

• emotions can be excessive/devficient therefore practical wisdom leads us to the golden mea. Aristotle argued that eudaemonia and a flourishing life is characterised by virtue guided by practical wised
• we must be balanced and live a life based on reason to give blaance/objective to the virtues
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Question 9

Describe Vardy’s criticism of virtue ethics

Answer 9

• it revolves around ancient and therefore outdated principles

Question 10

Describe Peter Singer’s criticism of virtue ethics

Answer 10

• the anthropomorphic basis of the theory ignores the capacity of animals to reason

Question 11

Describe the criticism of VE as impractical

Answer 11

• it is impossible to legislate based on virtues, whereas you can easily make laws based on reason/harm reduction.
• it is also too vague, and doesn’t give us a clear system for moral choices. we need a single overarching principle to guide out decisions.

Question 12

Describe Wolf’s criticism of virtue ethics as dull

Answer 12

• claims ‘moral saints’ who follow the golden mean are boring
• if everyone is virtueosu there is no variety and excitement, and we need negative traits to admire positive ones

Question 13

Strengths of virtue ethics - Anscombe, Foot and MacIntrye argue deontic ethics are irrelevant - explain

Answer 13

• lack of motivational component: deontic ethics is boring and uninspiring in good behaviour, whereas VE instead tells you why you should do something
• DE is based on god so is irrelevant in the secular world.
• Actions based ethics iverempahsise autonomy and neglect the community element of morality: nobody makes moral decisions in a vacuum as community is an important element of decision making. ve is person centred, valuing human relationships

Question 14

Give more strengths o VE

Answer 14

• less harsh than NML as it is less prescriptive
• tells people they have the potential tp learn to be moral, fits with christian teaching: people should learn to be more Christie and develop their behaviour to follow Jesus. however, it can also apply to atheists as it is good for society as a whole