5.1 Virtue Ethics Flashcards
Eudaimonia
For Aristotle - what makes a person happy
Golden mean
also known as virtuous mean: the midway point between vices and deficiency
Virtue ethics
An approach to ethics that emphasizes the character of the moral agent, rather than rules or consequences, as the key element of practical thinking
Deontological
From a word meaning ‘obligation’ or ‘duty’, ethical approaches that judge the morality of an action based on its adherence to a rule or rules
Teleological
Those moral theories that hold that the consequences of actions are the true basis for any judgements about such actions
Supreme Happiness
The end to which Virtue Theory looks, an end which is about both an individuals personal development and the whole community
Homeric
Relating to the stories of great heroes such as Achilles and Odysseus. The ethics of these stories is “you are what you do”
Excessive
Having too much of a characteristic
Deficient
Having too little of a characteristic
Liberality
Open minded / Being giving or generous
Prudence
The ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason
Moral Agent
A being whose actions are capable of moral evaluation
Kant Key Quotation
“The categorical imperative is thus only a single one, and specifically this: Act with that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it become a universal law”
Example of a Categorical Imperative
One ought to never tell a lie
Example of a Hypothetical Imperative
If you want to get out of the trouble you are in, you had better tell a lie
e.g. ‘If you want X you must do Y’ or ‘If you want to understand what Kant is saying, you must work hard’
