Virtue and Natural Law Flashcards
(100 cards)
which means the end or goal of one’s actions
telos
means the good qualities that one should practice
virtue
is well known for declaring that there are “four kinds of causation.”
aristotle
What are the four causes?
material cause
efficient cause
formal cause
final cause
the material of which the thing being explained is made
material cause
that from which the thing being explained comes
efficient cause
the form, arrangement, or shape of the thing being explained
formal cause
the purpose for which the thing being explained exists
final cause
The final cause is also referred to by the ancient Greek word _____
telos
as the ultimate goal of why one should be virtuous
eudaimonia
So how does a person achieve one’s telos or eudaemonia?
through virtue
What are the two categories of virtue?
intellectual and moral virtues
are virtues of the mind
intellectual virtues
not innate rather they are acquired through repetition and practice, like learning a
music instrument.
moral virtues
Virtue is then the midpoint between two extremes which Aristotle called
vices
is a condition intermediate (a “golden mean” as it is popularly known) between two other states, one involving excess, and the other deficiency
ethical virtue
is the development of virtue in a human being, as it makes a man good and ultimately will guide him in reaching happiness or
eudaimonia.
virtue ethics
is always a midpoint between two extremes.
right action
good thing means a _____
well-functioning one
taking one’s life does not
preserve life
What are the 3 strengths of virtue ethics?
- virtue ethics goes behind the action and escapes the sterility of Utilitarianism or Kantian Ethics.
- have social dimensions
- Sees eudaimonia as the telos
created an experiment to see if participants would follow orders even when the requested
behavior went against their moral beliefs or good judgment.
Stanley Milgram 1963
What experiment did Stanley Milgram perform?
The Milgram Shock Experiment
Our emotions and desires are
irrational and need to be controlled by reason