Moral: Virtue Intro Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is virtue ethics?
The theory that starts from the question of what it is to be a good person, then derives an account of morally right action as what a good person would do.
How does virtue ethics differ from consequentialism?
Virtue ethics focuses on the character of the person, while consequentialism focuses on the outcomes of actions.
What does consequentialism claim?
Actions are morally right or wrong depending on their outcomes and nothing else.
Fill in the blank: An act is right if it maximises what is ______.
good.
What is deontology?
The study of what one must do, claiming that actions are right or wrong in themselves, not depending on outcomes.
Fill in the blank: We have moral ______ to do things which it is right to do.
obligations.
What are the two types of moral theories?
Act-centred and agent-centred.
What does agent-centred moral theory focus on?
The sort of person we should aspire to be.
What does act-centred moral theory focus on?
What actions you ought to perform.
Define virtues in the context of virtue ethics.
Traits or states of a person that enable them to achieve some good purpose, especially living a morally good life.
List some classic virtues.
- Temperance (self-control)
- Prudence (good judgement)
- Justice
- Courage
Who are the major historical figures associated with virtue ethics?
Plato and Aristotle.
What was Aristotle’s contribution to virtue ethics?
He argued that a good person has the virtues, which enable them to achieve eudaimonia.
What is eudaimonia?
A state of flourishing or living a good life.
What is Aristotle known for in the realm of logic?
He developed a formal system for reasoning.
What are the titles of Aristotle’s works that focus on moral philosophy?
Eudemian Ethics and Nichomachean Ethics.
What sparked the revival of interest in virtue ethics in the 1950s?
Criticism of act-centred ethics, particularly Elizabeth Anscombe’s 1958 paper.
What was one of Anscombe’s criticisms of consequentialism?
It allows people to justify the unjustifiable.
What does virtue ethics provide that modern moral philosophy often lacks?
It explains why we ‘ought’ to do good things in down-to-earth terms.
True or False: Virtue ethics claims we have absolute obligations.
False.
Fill in the blank: Virtue ethics is concerned with living a ______ life.
flourishing.
