Flashcards
Virtue Ethics
Cards in this deck (11)
- 1Virtue EthicsTeleological looks at how we move towards a purpose, from the Greek word telos meaning goal or purpose.
VE argues we should practise being good.
Aretaic ethics from the Greek word arete meaning excellence or virtue. - 2AristotleGreek philosopher lived between 384 and 322 BCE.
Superior and subordinate aims. We acheive subordinate aims first and then acheive superor aims.
Superior aim of human life to acheive eudaimonia. Greek meaning flourishing. Aims should govern our lives. Acheived when we become virtuous by practising vitues and making them a habit.
Correct way to live is to follow the doctrine of the mean. - 3Aquinas13th century, confirmed the importance of VE by making it Christian.
Took from Plato, Cicero, Ambrose, Gregory and Augustine and the four cqardinal virtues; prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude and added 3 gifts from God.
Every moral question can be reduced to the consideration of vitues.
Virtue is mean. - 4AnscombeWhole concept of moral law/ obligations are flawed. Modern world there is no "lawgiver". Moral obligation to act in a particular manner makes no sense in a community where there is no complete belief in God.
Moved away from a focus on a person character and became obsessed with rules and laws.
Virtue Ethics is concerned with intentions.
She takes an objective view in which virtues are absolute.
Focused on motive virtues ethics in which the moral ingrediants are Christian virtues.
Virtue ethics is concerned with ensuring that the moral agent makes the right decision. - 5Anscombe and FootAssume that human beings want a moral life and want to live a good life for its own sake.
- 6MacIntyreConsequences matter.
People need to know why they should be virtuous.
Virtues maybe desirable but humans need a reason to be moral.
Emphasis the importance of community. Brings people what is required to live virtuously in a community.
A degree of consequentialism should be added.
Like Aristotle we should practise virtues that are appropriate for our situation.
Choose people who we admire who embody these virtues so we have a telos. - 7HurthouseTheoretical.
Main focus was on abortion and who should be the moral agent.
Not interested in pratical questions.
It is the state and not moral actions that are important.
People should get into a state of virtuous living and what they will do will be virtuous.
Looks at the virtues that go with Aristotle golden mean.
Her theory does not have any rules to follow which makes her theory subjective and relativistic. - 8NussbaumPratical.
Phronesis to examine particular issues.
Taken from Aristotle in which a moral life is inbuilt into rational human beings.
Humans discover the nature of the universe and its moral structure through a rational process which Aristotle called sophia.
Aristotle argued that humans use phronesis to discover the best means of applying moral concepts to the real world.
Phronesis is pratical wisdom.
By looking at the virte of the moral agent, the meaning of an absolute notion of jutice can be lost.
Objective as she said that toleration of those who are different is a virtue as long as it does not abuse others.
Homophobia is wrong. - 9AO2 1st paragraphPraises a Golden mean that maybe seen as foolish.
E.g. Courage can be seen as a moral virtue. Modern virtue ethicists do nodistinguish between a soldiers bravery on a battlefield and a civilian in which they are put in danger and is foolish.
Cannot be aplied to everyone- subjective to the individual. - 10AO2 2nd paragraphAllows the individual to make ethical decisions based on their moral well-being and not simply what is legally right.
Virtuous person is distinguished from someone who merely obeys laws.
People use their own beliefs and ideas to choose what the right ethical decision is.
Apply and develop the virtues they wish to. - 113rd AO2 paragraphVirtue ethics takes seriously attributes that other theories regard with suspicion.
Human emotions and responsibilities are important.
many theories regard emotions as not being logical and therfore dangerous to morality.
More personal theory, easy to apply to peoples lives.
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- Flashcards on Virtue Ethics, created by Sheri Chick on 05/01/2015.
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- Sheri Chick
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