Ethics Midterm Flashcards
action (praxis)
An intentional, rational activity aimed at achieving an end, either as its own goal or for something beyond it.
activity
The realization of a capacity, either as an ongoing process (like learning) or a complete, self-contained action (like seeing).
ambition:
The virtue of seeking honor in the right way, balancing between excessive ambition and undue indifference.
anger
A feeling linked to spirited desire, often involving a response to perceived injustice or offense.
apparent good
Something perceived as good or appears to be desirable but may not align with true goodness or contribute to genuine happiness.
appetite
non-rational desire for what appears pleasant, often linked to bodily needs but also shaped by habituation.
Bekker number
Marginal page numbers in Aristotle’s texts, used for citation and often cited alongside book and chapter divisions.
bravery (andreia):
Courage; the virtue of facing fear, especially in battle, by enduring dangers for a noble cause, choosing the mean between cowardice and recklessness.
calmness
The virtue of moderating anger, balancing between excessive irritability and an insensible lack of spirit.
capacity (dunamis)
A potential for action, rational or non-rational, that becomes actualized under the right conditions.
character
A person’s stable state shaped by habituation, desires, feelings, and rational deliberation, determining their moral virtues and actions.
choiceworthy
Deserving to be chosen, often referring to what is good, fine, pleasant, or expedient.
city (polis)
A self-governing community of free citizens, structured by laws and a political system.
complete
Fully developed or perfected, having reached its end or goal, as in maturity, happiness, or a well-functioning city.
continence (enkrateia)
The state of a person who does not have a habit of acting virtuously, but has self-control in resisting non-rational desires, allowing right action despite inner struggle.
correct reason
The right use of reason, as exemplified in persons recognized for their virtue.
craft (technê)
Art or skill; a virtue of thought involving rational skill in making or producing something, distinct from prudence, which concerns ethical action.
decency
Acting reasonably, fairly, and morally beyond legal requirements, often linked to equity.
decision (prohairesis)
A deliberate, reasoned choice to act or not, based on rational desire and deliberation about means rather than ends.
deduction
A form of reasoning where a conclusion necessarily follows from given premises, moving from general principles to particular cases.
deficiency
Too little; lacking the proper amount of a trait or action, an extreme opposed to excess in virtue.
definition
A statement identifying a thing’s essence by specifying what it is by its fundamental form, function, or purpose.
deliberation
Rational reflection on possible actions, considering means to an end, leading to a reasoned decision.
desire
Attraction toward a perceived good, including rational wish, non-rational appetite, and spirited self-assertion.