Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong

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Chapter Nine Virtue Theory
Aretaic Ethics Come from the Greek word arete
which translates as excellence or virtue The
virtue or value of the actions is not in the act,
but is in the heart of the actor. Virtue Ethics
emphasizes being a certain person with a certain
quality of character.
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Virtue Theory

• Seeks to produce excellent persons.
• Seeks to have people act out of spontaneous
  goodness.
• Seeks to have those who are excellent inspire
  others.
• Aretic Ethics focuses on the goal of life which
  is to live well and achieve excellence.

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Virtue Theory

• Virtues trained behavioral dispositions that
  result in habitual acts of moral goodness
• Vice trained behavioral dispositions that result
  in habitual acts of moral wrongness
• Cardinal virtues main virtues of wisdom,
  temperance, courage, and justice
• Theological virtues faith, hope and charity

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The Nature of Virtue Ethics

• Virtue Ethics claims that it is important to not
  only do the right thing, but also to have the
  correct disposition, motivation, and emotion in
  being good and doing right.
• Virtue Ethics is not only about action, but also
  about emotions, characters, and moral habits.
• Virtues traditionally divided into two types
  moral and nonmoral virtues

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Moral Virtues

• Honesty
• Benevolence
• Nonmalevolence
• Fairness
• Kindness
• Conscientiousness
• Gratitude

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Nonmoral Virtues

• Courage
• Optimism
• Rationality
• Self-Control
• Patience

• Endurance
• Industry
• Musical Talent
• Cleanliness
• Wit

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Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics

• To achieve a state of well being (eudaimonia),
  proper social institutions are necessary.
• The moral person cannot exist apart from a
  political setting that enables him or her to
  develop the requisite virtues for the good life.
• Ethics is therefore considered a branch of
  politics.

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Aristotle

• Humanity has an essence, or function.
• The function of humans is to use their reason in
  pursuit of the good life.
• Moral virtues are different from intellectual
  ones.
• By living well, we acquire the right habits.
• These habits are the virtues.

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Aristotle

• Virtues exist between a mean that has excess and
  deficiency at either end.
• We need to choose along this mean the proper
  course of action, towards the right conclusion.
• People have unequal ability to be virtuous. Some
  have great ability some lack it entirely.
• Some people are worthless, natural slaves.

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The Ideal Individual

• Father Maximilian Kolbe
• Jesus
• Socrates
• Gandhi
• Mother Theresa
• All of their lives have exhibited appropriate
  attitudes and dispositions of Virtue Ethics.

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Criticisms of Action-Based Ethics

• Action Based Ethics Lack a Motivational Component
• Action Based Ethics are Founded on an Obsolete
  Theological-Legal Model
• Action Based Ethics Ignore the Spontaneous
  Dimension of Ethics
• Action Based Ethics are Minimalist and Neglect
  the Development of Character
• Action Based Ethics Overemphasize Autonomy and
  Neglect Community

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Connections Between Virtue-Based and Action-Based
Ethics
Pure Virtue Ethics The virtues are dominant
and have intrinsic value. Moral rules or duties
are derived from the virtues
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Connections Between Virtue-Based and Action-Based
Ethics
Standard Action-Based view Action-guiding
principles are the essence of morality. The
virtues are derived from the principles and are
instrumental in performing right actions.
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Connections Between Virtue-Based and Action-Based
Ethics
Complementarity (Pluralistic) Ethics Both
action-based and virtue-based models are
necessary for an adequate and complete system.
Neither the virtues nor the rules are primary
they complement each other, and both may have
intrinsic value.