Virtue Theory
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Plato and Aristotle
offer virtue theories
of ethics.
Virtue theories rely
on an analogy
between health (the
good of the body)
and eudaimonia (the
good of the mind).
The Good Life
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Virtue theory is concerned with identifying
and cultivating character traits that enable
individuals to flourish as members of a
community.
It begins by identifying an end (human
flourishing) and proceeds by seeking to
discover the means (understood as human
character traits) that are required to realize
that end.
Aristotle on Human Excellence
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A virtue (arete, excellence) is a
character trait, acquired by practice,
that disposes a person to adopt the
right course of action in morally
charged situations. Virtues are lifeskills that enable a person to realize
their potential for living the good life as
a rational, social, animal.
Are we not more likely to hit
the mark if we have a target?
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Good= the aim,
end, or goal (telos)
of an activity. What
is the goal (final
end) of living a
human life? All
agree: Happiness
(eudaimonia, wellbeing, flourishing).
What is happiness?
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Pleasure? No, too
Brutish.
Wealth? No, it’s a
means, not a final end.
Honor? No, it’s not selfsufficient.
Virtue? No, it’s not
complete.
The end sought must
be final, self-sufficient,
and complete.
What is the function of human
life?
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To find the human good, find the
human function (ergon, what a thing does
that makes it what it is). What is the
characteristically human activity? Nutrition
and growth? (No, all living things);
Sensation? (No, all animals); Rational activity.
Function of a good human: rational activity in
accordance with virtue. [Objectors ask: Are
evil people irrational?]
Becoming Excellent
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As a skill or craft,
virtue is acquired by
practice. Patterns of
behavior produce
states of character.
Good character
produces good
behavior. If you
imitate good people,
you’ll become one.
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Moral virtues control
natural feelings
(passions, appetites)
and actions, making
them arise in the
right amounts at the
right times for the
right reasons (such a
rule or principle as would
arise in the mind of the
practically wise person).
Virtue: a mean between
extremes
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Confidence, appetites, anger, giving $.
Excess
Mean
Deficiency
Foolhardiness Courage
Cowardice
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Indulgence
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Temperance
Hot head
Cool head
Too generous Generous
Insensibility
Apathetic
Stingy
Character Types
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Heroic:
extraordinary
goodness.
Virtuous: Takes
pleasure in doing
good.
Continent: Must
control bodily
desires in order to
do good.
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Incontinent: Try's,
but fails, to control
bodily desires, and
so does evil.
Vicious: Takes
pleasure in doing
evil.
Bestial: Subhumanly
wicked.
McGinn on Virtue
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The big four:
kindness, honesty,
justice,
independence.
Kindness: generous
feelings towards
others, concern for
their welfare.
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Honesty: letting
your real beliefs and
opinions be known;
a powerful
commitment to the
truth.
Justice: Detached
respect for moral
truth.
Independence
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The capacity to
make up your own
mind based on the
relevant evidence
and facts. A
commitment to base
beliefs on an
unbiased review of
evidence.
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It is important to be
able to read and write.
It is also important to
have some
mathematical
proficiency. But more
important than either of
these is the ability to
arrive at informed and
thoughtful moral
judgments. (Colin McGinn)