The topic for this paper is going to be over a couple of statements I found to be fascinating from virtue ethics. Virtue ethics is Aristotle's’ famous work. It explains how people can be a virtuous person in many ways. For these two statements, I will give my explanation and interpretation of why Aristotle finds these statements to be true and what it means in virtue ethics. Lastly, I will express my opinion on why I do or do not agree with Aristotle’s beliefs. The first statement is, “Therefore, virtue also is in our own power, and so too vice” (Curzer 271). This statement means that we have the ability to be a virtuous person and also, the ability to be a vicious person. To be a virtuous person means for one to have virtues. A virtue is a characteristic or a behavior showing that a person …show more content…
Aristotle explains it as doing the right thing at the right time and not being excessive or deficient. A vice, as Aristotle calls it, is when someone is intemperate or insufficient. For example, acting in such a manner as showing excessive anger in a situation that is not considered a highly angered circumstance. Another example of this would be to show little or no anger in a situation that would require you to be immoderately angry. Aristotle finds this statement to be true because he “Believes that unless you are hopelessly wicked, your passions and desires are under your control” (Curzer 243). I find myself to agree with Aristotle because people do have the power to choose to be a good moral person. I also believe that we have the power to act in such a way that can make us a vicious person even though we know right from wrong. When children are growing up, it is often that their parents will teach
In Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean, he describes his view on virtue and it in relation to an individual’s everyday life. Aristotle offers the audience a system of virtue that allows them to improve their daily habits, make them more virtuous, and therefore a better person. Through this standpoint, we can intertwine morality with ones personality.
Virtue ethics is a moral theory that was first developed by Aristotle. It suggests that humans are able to train their characters to acquire and exhibit particular virtues. As the individual has trained themselves to develop these virtues, in any given situation they are able to know the right thing to do. If everybody in society is able to do the same and develop these virtues, then a perfect community has been reached. In this essay, I shall argue that Aristotelian virtue ethics is an unsuccessful moral theory. Firstly, I shall analyse Aristotelian virtue ethics. I shall then consider various objections to Aristotle’s theory and evaluate his position by examining possible responses to these criticisms. I shall then conclude, showing why Aristotelian virtue ethics is an unpractical and thus an unsuccessful moral theory in reality.
A theory of virtues provides explanation on what makes something a virtue and why it is considered one. The theory analyzes historical virtues that are outdated and resonate double standards, it gives reason to why these virtues should be reconsidered and redefined. We need a theory to advise us to reflect on the true meaning of virtues and how they provide us with character traits that we ought to seek and sustain. It is important to understand and acquire virtues, which determines moral traits that ultimately convey happiness in one’s life.
One question that has been asked throughout this semester is if you were hiding Jews and Nazi soldiers came to your door asking if you were hiding Jews, would you lie or tell the truth? Aristotle’s virtue ethics is one lens we can use to look through to help answer this question. Aristotle explains virtue ethics as having to do virtuous things rather than just be virtuous and to do virtuous things you must have some degree of material possessions. I believe that Aristotle’s virtue ethics answer the question above in the best, most logical way.
Virtue ethicists emphasize the role of character and virtue when considering what’s moral and what’s not, rather than doing one’s duty or acting to bring about good consequences. Furthermore, a virtue ethicist, such as Aristotle was, would not consider murder to be virtuous because being a murderer is not positive and would not be considered a moral virtue and neither is lying to Lizzie about being mad at her like Carol did. Therefore, they would say that Carol is a murderer, though she wanted to defend the rest, she still killed Lizzie and a virtuous person would not kill and that would be considered more of a vice. Yet, others might argue that it was virtuous of her to do so because she was being just and courageous in defending her people from being murdered and it not doing so she would be a coward which is a vice as
...h of these concepts lead to the Golden rule ‘whatever a human being wishes to have done to them, do so to the other human being’. All human beings should exercise excellence, avoid negative emotions, and express a virtuous character. Aristotle’s goal of human life is to live a happy existence. Aristotle’s most important virtues belong to the moral character of the person. Virtue relates to the golden mean through having a middle ground/road between two extremes of deficiency and excess. Virtue relates to wisdom through having the knowledge to make the right decision and act accordingly. Thinking about what to do is practical and relates to how to choose and do what an intelligent and reasonable human being can in order to achieve goods in one’s life including the lives of other human beings, as well as maintain a good character and live life to the fullest.
Nicomachean Ethics is one of his most well known works, and discusses Aristotle’s views on the purpose of human life. It is named after his son, Nicomachus. This work probably consists of texts or notes from his lectures, and is sep...
In Nichomachean Ethics, virtue is defined as achieving good. Virtue is a state of character, which Aristotle says is pointless to examine. All that matters is the achievement of good. He says that there are two kinds of virtue, intellectual and moral. Moral virtue is a disposition to behave in the correct manner. Virtue must be taught from a young age. It is striking a balance between deficiency and excess, which are vices.
...tional elements of the person. Aristotle tries to explain what this harmony consists in by exploring the psychological foundations of moral character. A person is good if he has virtues and lacks vices. A series of good choices can change a vicious character if he becomes virtuous by performing virtuous acts. Aristotle says, "We become just by performing just acts, and temperate by performing temperate acts" (N.E.18-19). In order to perform virtuous acts virtuously “the agent also must be in a certain condition when he does them; in the first place he must have knowledge, secondly he must choose the acts, and choose them for their own sakes, and thirdly his actions must proceed from a firm and unchangeable character" (N.E.30-33). Teaching also provides knowledge of why certain acts are virtuous to people with the right habits, the well-brought-up (N.E. 2-17).
What is moral virtue? Although, due to infinite opinions it may be difficult to answer, Aristotle offers us insight into the common thread of all morality. He says that every art, every science, every action has a goal, an end that is aspired to. This end is always good. “The end of medical science is health; the end of military science, victory; of economic science, wealth.”(Aristotle, 22) Everything that we, as humans, decide to do is for the good of something.
I shall try to resolve an interesting and insufficiently explored tension between two well known strands of Aristotle's thought. On the one hand, Aristotle's main piece of advice for becoming virtuous is to perform virtuous acts. He says, "We become just by performing just acts, and temperate by performing temperate acts" (1105a18-19). On the other hand, Aristotle says that in order to perform virtuous acts virtuously "the agent also must be in a certain condition when he ...
It has more to do with character and the nature of what it is to be. human, than with the rights and wrongs of our actions. Instead of concentrating on what is the right thing to do, virtue ethics asks how. you can be a better person. Aristotle says that those who do lead a virtuous life, are very happy and have a sense of well-being.
The Virtue Theory was made popular by Greek philosopher Aristotle and is still often followed today. Aristotle strongly believed in the morality of “being” (rather than the contrasting morality of “doing”) which aims for a substantial moral character. As a result of this thinking, the Virtue Theory is based solely on one’s individual character. It stresses the significance of one’s character as a fundamental component of their ethical and moral thought process.
MacIntyre acknowledges historical accounts of virtue and analyzes how they have become incompatible with theories of virtue and he concludes that these contrasting views are attributable to various practices that create differing conceptions of virtues and the virtues that are behind moral traditions. MacIntyre has argued for a radical change in the way that morality is viewed in regards to tradition. Whether it is a call for change the emphasis obligations, there is a return to a general comprehension of ethics or a tradition that unifies the practices that generate virtues. In the views of MacIntyre, he believes that if an individual follows tradition, then are achieving moral progress. Since MacIntyre upholds the view of an Aristotelian, if an individual upholds tradition in virtue ethics they are making moral progress. To be a virtuous person, one must fulfill the tasks of a virtuous person. It is important to acknowledge that a moral character particularly one who upholds a living moral tradition develops over a period of time. People are born with different natural tendencies; some may be positive tendencies such as friendliness and some may be negative tendencies such as jealousy. These tendencies are and can be encouraged and grow or thwart because of the influences an individual may exposed to when growing up. There are factors that play a vital role in this
For the purposes of this essay human virtue is defined as a trait or ability such that one who has that trait or ability would be considered excellent and thus virtuous by human standards. Additionally it is important to keep