Virtue Ethics Flashcards
1
Q
What is the ultimate goal of life according to Virtue Ethics?
A
Eudaimonia - the flourishing of skills
2
Q
How did Aristotle divide virtues?
A
- Intellectual virtues (taught)
- Moral virtues (cultivated thorugh practice)
3
Q
How are you supposed to determine which moral virtues to cultivate?
A
By using the Golden Mean - the good virtue is found between the deficiency and excess.
4
Q
Why did Elizabeth Anscombe agree with Virtue Ethics?
A
She argued that modern ethical theories focus too much on what good is rather than focusing on personal virtues.
5
Q
Why did Alasdair MacIntyre agree with Virtue Ethics?
A
He argued that the modern world would benefit by agreeing which are the good virtues and promoting them instead of theories of good actions.
6
Q
What are the some of the strengths of Virtue Ethics?
A
- Allows for the fact that virtues change over time and differ between societies
- Flexible because it does not prescribe fixed duties
- Nussbaum - V.E is holistic becuase it considers personal wellbeing
7
Q
What are some of the weaknesses of Virtue Ethics?
A
- Does not give clear guidance like deontological ethical theories (Kantian Ethics, NML, etc)
- Doesn’t deal with the problem of people who believe they are doing good but aren’t
- Some things are absolutely wrong - V.E does not set out basic moral boundaries
