Non-relative Virtues, An
Aristotelian Approach
Martha Nussbaum
Remoteness and ethical theory
• Nussbaum points out that remoteness is a
feature of other major approaches to ethics:
– Allegiance to a broad, impartial principle of utility
in the case of utilitarianism
– Dispassionate following of universal moral law in
the case of a Kantian approach.
– Virtue ethics, however characterizes itself by its
connection to social life and features of human
psychology.
Virtue Ethics and Relativism
• Many writers have connected virtue ethics
with relativism because it is a value pluralistic
approach that at least appears to favor
normative standards local in origin.
• e.g. for Aristotle, magnanimity is being
deserving of greatness and knowing it. From a
later, Christian monastic perspective greatness
of the soul would consist in humility and selfdenial.
Aristotle and Objectivity
• It is clear, however, that Aristotle himself
advocated a non-relativist approach to ethics.
– Aristotle advocated a single view of human wellbeing
– He criticized past mores for, in some cases, being
“obviously stupid”
– He criticizes other societies for having mores
which ignore facts about well-being and important
virtues.
Is Aristotle’s approach relative?
• Many writers are concerned that Aritotle,
rather than giving an account of the best life
for a person, is instead giving an account of
the best life for a 4th century BC Greek man.
• Nussbaum thinks not. She identifies
Aristotle’s method for developing a list of
virtues:
Aristotle’s Approach:
1. Find a universal sphere of human experience
2. Identify the essential features of that sphere
of experience
3. Identify the adjectives that describe positive
an negative attributes with respect to that
sphere of experience.
4. Organize those features as describing a virtue,
a vice of deficiency, or a vice of excess.
Objections to the non-relativism of the
Aristotelian approach
• It may be that our tastes are conditioned by the
cultures in which we live. This certainly seems
the case with art, music, and even body image.
• It may be that our virtues are artifacts of nonnecessary aspects of human life. For example,
generosity is only a virtue if there is a concept of
private property, which may be a dysfunctional
social element that we could (or should) do
without.
Nussbaum’s approach
• Nussbaum supplies a set of truly universal
spheres of human experience, and suggests
that Aristotle’s approach, when adapted to
these spheres of experience, is an effective
and non-relative approach.
The universal spheres of experience
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Mortality
The Body
Pleasure and Pain
Cognitive Capability
Practical Reason
Early Infant Development
Affiliation
Humor