Aristotle's Virtue Ethics Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is Aristotle’s book called?
Nicomachean Ethics
What is Virtue Ethics concerned about?
‘What should I be’ rather than ‘what should I do’
According to Aristotle, what is every action aimed towards
Everything action is aimed at attaining some good and the final end is eudaimonia
What is Eudaimonia
human flourishing/ultimate happiness
What is the Function Argument?
- Everything has an ergon and goodness consists in performing one’s function well such as a knife being sharp.
- Everything has a living soul and the nature of it’s soul determines the function
- Human soul is unique due to it’s capabilities for rational thought
Finish the quote: “Thus the good life is not the kind in which we eat…”
…but that in which we reason well” (Nicomachean Ethics)
What are the two parts of the soul?
- Rational (intellectual)
- Non Rational (morals)
What are the 9 intellectual virtures found in the rational part of the soul? (name 4)
Primary Virtues
- Technical Skill (Techne)
- Scientific Knowledge (Episteme)
- Practical Wisdom (Phronesis)*
- Intelligence (nous)*
- Theoretical Wisdom (sophia)
Secondary Virtues
- Resourcefulness (eubolia)
- Understanding (suneis)*
- Judgement (gnome)*
- Cleverness (deinotes)
How do people control/gain intellectual virtures?
They are taught and controlled by reason
What are the 12 moral virtues in the non-rational part of the soul? (name 6)
- Courage*
- Temperance*
- Generosity*
- Magnificence
- High Mindedness
- Right Ambition*
- Good Temper
- Wittiness
- Friendliness
- Truthfulness
- Modesty*
- Just Resentment*
How do people control/gain moral virtures?
Formed by repetition, practice and imitating virtuous people (phronimos) and these virtues are directed by the rational soul
What is the significance of justice and friendship as virtues?
Both are altruistic virtues
- Justice = encompasses all the other virtues and leads to a fairer society
- Friendship allows for goodness
What is the doctrine of the mean?
Used to help people act virtuously as emotions can be excessive or deficient
What is used to steer someone towards a mean?
Practice Wisdom - guides away from the two extremes
What is the mean?
It is not a fixed point or rule and relative to the circumstance
What is a phronimos?
‘man of practical wisdom’ - provides a guide to what the mean is for each individual and how to act in situations
Why is a proper intention important?
- You cannot act virtuously if you don’t know what you are doing (e.g. drowning whilst saving a child as you hadn’t considered you drowning)
- People can only act virtuously if it is a reasoned choice
- A proper intention involves using reason to come to a result and can reveal someone’s character
- People can only intend to do what they have the power to do
What is theoria and it’s importance to Aristotlean teaching?
Theoria is an intellectual virtue of contemplation that can lead us to greater Eudaimonia
Why did Aristotle favour Theoria?
1) Reason/Intelligence is the highest aspect of human life and needed for obtaining knowledge in the world
2) Leads us to the greatest happiness because it is done for its own stake
3) Theoretical reasoning is essentially contemplation of the divine
Why do some reject Aristotle’s view on the highest human good?
- Subjective judgement arising from Aristotle’s personal judgment
- Most pe
What are strengths about Virtue Ethics?
What are some weaknesses about Virtue Ethics?
What are some counter arguments to the weaknesses of Virtue Ethics?
