Virtue Ethics
(Aristotle)
Guiding Principle 3
Virtue Ethics
• A virtue is an admirable quality seen to
produce success or benefit in a given
community.
• So, in virtue ethics virtues are admirable
qualities that lead to moral excellence!
• Modern day Virtue Ethics proponents include
Elizabeth Anscombe and Alasdair MacIntyre
• A philosophy first developed by ancient Greek
philosopher Aristotle (384-322BCE), who asked:
– What does it mean to live a good life?
Aristotle
• Believed that we can make
a conscious effort to be
good
• “We are what we
repeatedly do. Excellence
then is not an act, but a
habit.” (Nicomachean
Ethics)
• In Aristotle’s society there
were very specific virtues
that you needed to ‘be
good’: strength, courage,
comradeship (friendliness),
justice, temperance
(control) and wisdom.
• Virtue ethics suggests that people cannot live alone
as individuals in a society.
• For society to work, we need to cooperate and live
together.
• If there are virtues that everyone aspires to and
practices, then society will be better for everyone.
• Aristotle believed that you could be a good man by
practicing these virtues until they became ingrained
in you, until you acted like that without needing to
think about it:
– You could become temperate by ensuring you controlled
your emotions and actions and did not go to extremes in
anything.
– You became brave by doing actions that would be
considered brave
Aristotle & The Good Life
• Aristotle’s aim was for everyone to lead what he
called the ‘good life’ and achieve happiness
(eudaimonia).
• People are not just naturally ‘happy’ – you must
work for it.
• This good life could only be achieved by following
the virtues.
• If you follow the virtues then you are living
according to the Golden Mean (a balance between
extremes of behaviour)
• Today, different societies might have different
virtues that would lead to happiness (or more
modern ways of expressing the same things
Aristotle did!)
Judging People
• People are considered to be good by
demonstrating that they are living according to
virtues.
• This means that you are judged on your actions
and their outcomes. You intentions do not count
so much.
• For example, if you practice doing kind things
and making others happy, then this will become
a habit and you will begin to think in a kind way.
• If you do not genuinely want to be a kind person,
then you will fail and people will see by your
actions that you are not a good person.
Becoming Good
• It is not enough to simply try and do ‘good stuff’
• If you do not understand why something is a
virtue, you will not be able to practice it properly.
• Due to this reason was also important to
Aristotle – you need to think through each
situation, and understand how you should act in
it (according to virtues)
• It is not easy to follow virtues – it requires
understanding and effort.
• If people genuinely want to be good they can
achieve it, through dedication and effort.
• This separates a virtuous man from a nonvirtuous man.