Virtue ethics is arguably the oldest ethical theory in the world, with origins in Ancient Greece.
- Excellence as habit Aristotle explained that both virtues and vices are acquired by repetition. If we routinely overindulge a sweet tooth, we develop a vice, – gluttony. ...
- Aim for in between There are two practical principles that virtue ethics encourages us to use in ethical dilemmas. The first is called The Golden Mean. ...
- Imagination The second is to use our imagination. ...
What is the meaning and basic principles of virtue ethics?
What are the basic principles of ethics?
- Beneficence. …
- Nonmaleficence. …
- Autonomy. …
- Informed Consent. …
- Truth-Telling. …
- Confidentiality. …
- Justice.
What are some examples of virtue ethics?
Virtues List
- Acceptance
- Assertiveness
- Authenticity
- Beauty
- Caring
- Cleanliness
- Commitment
- Compassion
- Confidence
- Consideration
What is the ethical theory of virtue ethics?
Virtue Ethics (or Virtue Theory) is an approach to Ethics that emphasizes an individual's character as the key element of ethical thinking, rather than rules about the acts themselves (Deontology) or their consequences (Consequentialism).
Why are virtue ethics important?
Virtue Ethics is helpful because it offers a whole-person vocation to living a virtuous life and it has an inbuilt way of dealing with inevitable human flaws and failings. A person can use times of failure as a way to learn the importance of the virtue due to its absence and recalibrate their position on how to apply the virtues to their circumstances (Braun 2019, Virtue Ethics Lecture).
What is an example of a virtue ethics approach?
When Jay is working at his workplace, he still has his virtue character of compassion. Due to this character, he helps his colleagues, and even never hesitate to go out of his way to make sure that particular project of the company gets done on time. This is what we called as virtue ethics.
What is the main focus of virtue ethics?
Virtue ethics is primarily concerned with traits of character that are essential to human flourishing, not with the enumeration of duties.
What is virtue ethics and why is it important?
Virtue ethics is based on a positive view of human nature, one that takes into account that humans are strongly predisposed to (a) recognize excellence in others whom they can take as role models and (b) gain fulfillment from a life lived virtuously (eudaimonia).
What is virtue ethics in simple words?
Virtue ethics is a broad term for theories that emphasize the role of character and virtue in moral philosophy rather than either doing one's duty or acting in order to bring about good consequences.
What are the 3 virtue ethical theories?
Virtue ethics started from Plato and Aristotle. There are at least three central concepts in virtue ethics: Virtue (aretê), eudaimonia ("happiness" or "human flourishing"), and practical wisdom (phronêsis).
How can virtue ethics be applied in our life?
By practicing being honest, brave, just, generous, and so on, a person develops an honorable and moral character. According to Aristotle, by honing virtuous habits, people will likely make the right choice when faced with ethical challenges.
What is a strength of virtue ethics?
The Strengths of Virtue Ethics If you want to behave virtuously, become a virtuous person. Certain traits—for instance, honesty, compassion, generosity, courage—seem to be universally admired. These strengths of character are virtues. To acquire these virtues, follow the example of persons who possess them.
Which of the following best defines virtue based ethics?
Which of the following best defines virtue-based ethics? An ethical theory that emphasizes the role of character rather than actions.
What is the main emphasis for virtue ethics quizlet?
It emphasizes the character of the moral agent over time, rather than following rules or consequences in specific cases. This is what virtue ethics emphasizes and teaching us to become. You just studied 14 terms!
What is the aim of virtue ethics quizlet?
- Does not focus on the action being right or wrong, but on how to be a good person. - Emphasizes the role of character and virtue in moral philosophy. - Focuses on what it means to be a good person rather than whether a specific action is morally correct.
What are the main ideas of Aristotle's virtue theory?
According to Aristotle, virtues are character dispositions or personality traits. This focus on our dispositions and our character, rather than our actions in isolation, is what earns Aristotelian Virtue Ethics the label of being an agent- centered moral theory rather than an act-centered moral theory.
What are the different forms of virtue ethics?
In what follows we sketch four distinct forms taken by contemporary virtue ethics, namely, a) eudaimonist virtue ethics, b) agent-based and exemplarist virtue ethics , c) target-centered virtue ethics , and d) Platonistic virtue ethics.
Is Plato a virtue ethicist?
The fourth form a virtue ethic might adopt takes its inspiration from Plato. The Socrates of Plato’s dialogues devotes a great deal of time to asking his fellow Athenians to explain the nature of virtues like justice, courage, piety, and wisdom. So it is clear that Plato counts as a virtue theorist. But it is a matter of some debate whether he should be read as a virtue ethicist (White 2015). What is not open to debate is whether Plato has had an important influence on the contemporary revival of interest in virtue ethics. A number of those who have contributed to the revival have done so as Plato scholars (e.g., Prior 1991; Kamtekar 1998; Annas 1999; and Reshotko 2006). However, often they have ended up championing a eudaimonist version of virtue ethics (see Prior 2001 and Annas 2011), rather than a version that would warrant a separate classification. Nevertheless, there are two variants that call for distinct treatment.
What are some examples of virtues?
These are commonly accepted truisms. But it is equally common, in relation to particular (putative) examples of virtues to give these truisms up. We may say of someone that he is generous or honest “to a fault”. It is commonly asserted that someone’s compassion might lead them to act wrongly, to tell a lie they should not have told, for example, in their desire to prevent someone else’s hurt feelings. It is also said that courage, in a desperado, enables him to do far more wicked things than he would have been able to do if he were timid. So it would appear that generosity, honesty, compassion and courage despite being virtues, are sometimes faults. Someone who is generous, honest, compassionate, and courageous might not be a morally good person—or, if it is still held to be a truism that they are, then morally good people may be led by what makes them morally good to act wrongly! How have we arrived at such an odd conclusion?
What does honesty reflect?
An honest person’s reasons and choices with respect to honest and dishonest actions reflect her views about honesty, truth, and deception —but of course such views manifest themselves with respect to other actions, and to emotional reactions as well. Valuing honesty as she does, she chooses, where possible to work with honest people, to have honest friends, to bring up her children to be honest. She disapproves of, dislikes, deplores dishonesty, is not amused by certain tales of chicanery, despises or pities those who succeed through deception rather than thinking they have been clever, is unsurprised, or pleased (as appropriate) when honesty triumphs, is shocked or distressed when those near and dear to her do what is dishonest and so on. Given that a virtue is such a multi-track disposition, it would obviously be reckless to attribute one to an agent on the basis of a single observed action or even a series of similar actions, especially if you don’t know the agent’s reasons for doing as she did (Sreenivasan 2002).
What is a virtue?
1.1 Virtue. A virtue is an excellent trait of character. It is a disposition, well entrenched in its possessor—something that, as we say, goes all the way down, unlike a habit such as being a tea-drinker—to notice, expect, value, feel, desire, choose, act, and react in certain characteristic ways.
What are the two concepts that are central to all forms of virtue ethics?
We begin by discussing two concepts that are central to all forms of virtue ethics, namely, virtue and practical wisdom. Then we note some of the features that distinguish different virtue ethical theories from one another before turning to objections that have been raised against virtue ethics and responses offered on its behalf. We conclude with a look at some of the directions in which future research might develop.
What is virtue ethics?
Virtue Ethics. Virtue ethics is currently one of three major approaches in normative ethics. It may, initially, be identified as the one that emphasizes the virtues, or moral character, in contrast to the approach that emphasizes duties or rules (deontology) or that emphasizes the consequences of actions (consequentialism).
What are the characteristics of virtue?
Arête is excellence in character that naturally exemplifies goodness, honesty, self-control , and other virtues. Phronesis is moral or practical wisdom that knows the right course to take in any circumstance. Eudaimonia is a bit different. It isn’t an internal characteristic, but a good, flourishing life. Virtue ethics teaches that, by careful living, a person can develop all three qualities, thus embodying a character that is naturally moral, although external forces may damage or destroy eudaimonia.
What is virtue ethics?
Answer. Virtue ethics is one of the main categories of normative ethics. It teaches that moral behavior is directly linked to a virtuous life. An act cannot be ethical if it is performed by a corrupt character, and a virtuous person will naturally perform virtuous acts. Unlike other secular schools of thought, virtue ethics explains exactly ...
What does Romans 5:3–5 mean?
Romans 5:3–5 says, “We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”.
What does Jesus say about tribulation?
Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation” ( John 16:33 ), and maybe that’s a good thing, if the hard times are what God uses to build our character. We can never be completely virtuous, and we cannot develop a virtuous character on our own ( Hebrews 10:10 ). But virtue ethics is not far off when it says ethical behavior flows ...
What does Job 1:6 mean?
Job 1:1 describes Job as “blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.”. And Luke 1:6 says Zacharias and Elizabeth were “both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.”. But the Bible also teaches that no one is perfect.
Is wisdom a gift?
However, wisdom is not something we can develop on our own. Wisdom is a gift from the Lord ( Proverbs 2:6) and actually begins with reverence for the Lord (1:7). Secular theories of ethics place a great amount of importance on happiness. Not giddy joy, but well-being and a fulfilled life.
Is Eudaimonia a virtue?
Eudaimonia is a bit different. It isn’t an internal characteristic, but a good, flourishing life. Virtue ethics teaches that , by careful living, a person can develop all three qualities, thus embodying a character that is naturally moral, although external forces may damage or destroy eudaimonia. The Bible certainly promotes the development ...
What is virtue ethics?
Virtue ethics, Approach to ethics that takes the notion of virtue (often conceived as excellence) as fundamental. Virtue ethics is primarily concerned with traits of character that are essential to human flourishing, not with the enumeration of duties.
What is moral philosophy?
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ... Virtue ethics, Approach to ethics that takes the notion of virtue (often conceived as excellence) as fundamental.
Why is virtue ethics important?
Because it is concerned with character, with what kind of person one is, virtue ethics pays more attention to our inner states and feelings as opposed to focusing exclusively on actions. For a utilitarian, what matters is that you do the right thing–that is, you promote the greatest happiness of the greatest number (or follow a rule that is justified by this goal). But as a matter of fact, this is not all we care about. It matters why someone is generous or helpful or honest. The person who is honest simply because they think being honest is good for their business is less admirable that the person who is honest through and through and would not cheat a customer even if they could be sure that no one would ever find them out.
What is Aristotle's account of virtue?
In his great work, the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle offers a detailed analysis of the virtues that has been enormously influential and is the starting point for most discussions of virtue ethics. The Greek term that is usually translated as “virtue” is arête.
What is the moral virtue of Aristotle?
Aristotle argues that each moral virtue is a sort of mean lying between two extremes. One extreme involves a deficiency of the virtue in question, the other extreme involves possessing it to excess. For example, "Too little courage = cowardice; too much courage = recklessness.
What does Aristotle mean by "mean"?
The “mean,” as Aristotle understands it is not some sort of mathematical halfway point between the two extremes; rather, it is what is appropriate in the circumstances. Really, the upshot of Aristotle’s argument seems to be that any trait we consider a virtue as to be exercised with wisdom.
What is virtue ethics?
Updated February 13, 2018. “Virtue ethics” describes a certain philosophical approach to questions about morality. It is a way of thinking about ethics that is characteristic of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, particularly Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle . But it has become popular again since the later part of the 20th century due to ...
What is virtue in Greek?
The Greek term that is usually translated as “virtue” is arête. Speaking generally, arête is a kind of excellence. It is a quality that enables a thing to perform its purpose or function. The sort of excellence in question can be specific to particular kinds of thing.
What are the virtues of a racehorse?
For instance, the main virtue of a racehorse is to be fast; the main virtue of a knife is to be sharp. People performing specific functions also require specific virtues: e.g. a competent accountant must be good with numbers; a soldier needs to be physically brave.
What is virtuous ethics?
Virtue ethics defines morality with reference to the character of the agent. What is right to do in a particular situation is what a virtuous character would do. Some of the popular premises of right action are as follows:
What is benevolence in the world?
Benevolence is described as the disposition to have a genuine, altruistic concern for others, i.e., to take pleasure in the well-being of others or having a general desire for the good of others (Blackburn, 2016; Hubbard et al., 2016). An agent with a benevolent disposition would have concern for others as an end in itself and not for their own benefit (Van Zyl, 2015).
How can an artifact originator demonstrate the virtue of generosity?
An artifact originator could demonstrate the virtue of generosity by donating part of their earnings from a popular application for a good cause.
What is honesty connected to?
Honesty connects to ideas of truth and fidelity to promises as well as being forthright, i.e., not withholding information. Acts like lying, cheating, deceiving, misleading, promise-breaking are not in line with this virtue (Miller, 2017). Honesty is also connected to humility, and the awareness of one’s own limits and self-acceptance (Comte-Sponville, 2013).
What is generosity in morals?
Generosity refers to our actions towards others that have value and are motivated by altruism. Generous acts may also be supererogatory when it comes to morals (Miller, 2018). Simply put, generosity comes from a desire to be considerate to others not a conscious realization of the act being generous (Driver, 2001).
What is courage in Aristotle's definition?
Aristotle defined courage as a mean between rashness and cowardice (Aristotle et al., 2009). A person with an excess of bravado might do acts that harm themselves or others, while those who lack courage will be prone to passivity in life. Courage is also a process of overcoming fear (Putman, 1997); it is a disposition of a person to confront fear (as opposed to being fearless) with a tendency to master it and awareness of the incurred risk in relation to the desired outcomes (Comte-Sponville, 2013). Major fears that a person could have are fear of physical harm or death (physical harm connected not only to being harmed from outside but harming oneself - lifestyle behaviors like overeating), fear of losing ethical integrity or authenticity (if one does not act), fear of losing control, fear of going crazy or intense anxieties or fear of the low quality of life, among others (Putman, 1997).
What is a leader of a social network disposed to?
If a leader of a social network is disposed to honesty and kindness, they will, by the definition of these virtues, be disposed not to manipulate users or try to earn large amounts of money through unethical means such as privacy incursions or surreptitious profiling.
Virtue Ethics in Business
Virtue ethics is a fundamental approach in normative ethics. The concept emphasizes moral character and virtue. Notably, virtue ethics differs from deontology and consequentialism. The former focuses on duties or rules, while the latter judges the consequences of actions.
Virtue Ethics Approaches
Virtue Ethics was developed in ancient Greek by Aristotle. The philosopher was motivated by his quest to understand life and live as a morally upright character. The virtue ethics approach assumes that morals are acquired through practice.
What is normative ethics?
Normative ethics is based on the ideas of how people should behave. Each approach in normative ethics starts from a different viewpoint. Deontology focuses on how people have responsibilities and duties to behave in a specific way.
What is the meaning of the term "consequentialism"?
Consequentialism says that people should behave in a specific way because of the consequences of not doing so. Virtue ethics focuses on the behavior the individual already has and carries that over into the workplace.
Why is Virtue Ethics unique?
Are they stand-up citizens within the community? Or are they known for selfish, reckless behavior? Virtue ethics is a unique approach in the workplace because it does not focus on employees as a whole. Additionally, the approach does not focus on only work behaviors.
What is Mark's virtue?
His virtue is compassion. At work, Mark is an accountant, and his compassion also has a place there. He helps his peers regularly and goes out of his way to make sure a project gets done. This is virtue ethics. Employees who hold a set of morals and virtues personally will use them every day, both in and out of work.
Why is Sara struggling to pay the bills?
She recently was diagnosed with cancer, and she and her family are struggling to pay the bills because of her medical treatments. Sara is not friends with Cate, but respects her work and is worried for Cate's situation. Sara feels compassion and starts a bake sale to earn money for Cate and her family.
What does it mean to enroll in a course?
Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams.
What does "nice guys finish last" mean?
However, this approach does have one issue similar to the saying 'nice guys finish last,' 'last' meaning that a nice guy will be bypassed for promotion. Virtues are behaviors like compassion, trustworthiness, responsibility, honesty, etc.
What are the advantages of virtue ethics?
Virtue ethics has a number of advantages over the four principles: 1 It recognises that emotions are an integral and important part of our moral perception. 2 It considers the motivation of the agent to be of crucial importance. Decisions are anchored in the characteristic virtuous disposition of the moral agent who typically wants to behave well. 3 As there are no rigid rules to be obeyed, it allows any choices to be adapted to the particulars of a situation and the people involved. Two people might both behave well when resolving the same situation in different ways. 4 This flexibility encourages the pursuit of creative solutions to tragic dilemmas. 5 Virtue ethicists recognise that tragic dilemmas can rarely be resolved to the complete satisfaction of all parties and that any conclusion is likely to leave some remainder of pain and regret.
How to be Eudaemon?
In order to flourish, to be eudaemon, a person will possess virtues and exercise them with practical wisdom in order to make good choices in acting well. The virtues will become integral to her character and so become part of her flourishing, not just a means to that end.
What would a virtue ethicist conclude?
In summary the virtue ethicist, after fully exploring the facts and considering the ethical sensitivities, would conclude that a compassionate, trustworthy, and discerning doctor would characteristically respect this patient’s’ wishes in this situation. This does not, however, amount to a rule.
What is the purpose of Aristotle?
Aristotle believed that the purpose of human existence is to achieve a state of eudaemonia, which is a difficult word to translate. “Happiness” is too superficial and subjective. We may feel happy if we satisfy our desires but this is no guarantee of any enduring contentment. To be eudaemon is rather to have the sort of happiness that is deep, lasting, and worth having. It is a deeply rooted joy in the dynamic process of our lives. It is hard to find a single word to sum up this concept but the closest approximation is “flourishing”.
Why do men and women need to be industrious?
Men and women need to be industrious and tenacious of purpose not only so as to be able to house, clothe and feed themselves, but also to pursue human ends having to do with love and friendship. They need the ability to form family ties, friendships and special relations with neighbours. They also need codes of conduct. And how could they have all these things without virtues such as loyalty, fairness, kindness and in certain circumstances obedience?” 9
Why do donors choose to donate?
The potential donor may be motivated by compassion for his dependants and decide that his health is worth risking for the benefit now to his family.
What is the purpose of the relationship, emotional sensitivities, and motivations?
In considering the relationships, emotional sensitivities, and motivations that are unique to human society it provides a fuller ethical analysis and encourages more flexible and creative solutions than principlism or consequentialism alone.
What is ethical issue?
Ethical issues are ones that involve the way things "should be" rather than the way things are. Ethics involve discussions of moral obligations, but do not necessarily hinge on religious overtones. The first step in discussing ethical issues is to get all the facts.
What is the common good approach?
Common Good Approach. The common good approach suggests that ethical actions are those that benefit all members of the community. The Virtue Approach. The virtue approach describes an assumption that there are higher orders of goodness to which man should aspire, and that only moral actions will help us achieve that higher level.
What is ethical problem solving?
Ethical problem solving involves accumulating all the facts surrounding an issue and considering
What is the rights approach?
The Rights Approach. The rights approach is predicated on the notion that humans have the right to choose paths which affect their destiny because they are human. Furthermore, humans are justified in their expectation that their rights should be respected.
Preliminaries
- In the West, virtue ethics’ founding fathers are Plato andAristotle, and in the East it can be traced back to Mencius andConfucius. It persisted as the dominant approach in Western moralphilosophy until at least the Enlightenment, suffered a momentaryeclipse during the nineteenth century, but re-emerged inAnglo-American philosophy in the late 1950s...
Forms of Virtue Ethics
- While all forms of virtue ethics agree that virtue is central andpractical wisdom required, they differ in how they combine these andother concepts to illuminate what we should do in particular contextsand how we should live our lives as a whole. In what follows we sketchfour distinct forms taken by contemporary virtue ethics, namely, a)eudaimonist virtue ethics, b) agent-based and ex…
Objections to Virtue Ethics
- A number of objections have been raised against virtue ethics, some ofwhich bear more directly on one form of virtue ethics than on others.In this section we consider eight objections, namely, the a)application, b) adequacy, c) relativism, d) conflict, e)self-effacement, f) justification, g) egoism, and h) situationistproblems. a) In the early days of virtue ethics’ revival, the approach w…
Future Directions
- Over the past thirty-five years most of those contributing to therevival of virtue ethics have worked within a neo-Aristotelian,eudaimonist framework. However, as noted in section 2, other forms ofvirtue ethics have begun to emerge. Theorists have begun to turn tophilosophers like Hutcheson, Hume, Nietzsche, Martineau, and Heideggerfor resources they might use to develop …
The Central Question of Virtue Ethics
Aristotle’s Account of Virtue
- In his great work, the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle offers a detailed analysis of the virtues that has been enormously influential and is the starting point for most discussions of virtue ethics. The Greek term that is usually translated as “virtue” is arête. Speaking generally, arête is a kind of excellence. It is a quality that enables a thing t...
The Advantages of Virtue Ethics
- Virtue ethics certainly didn’t die away after Aristotle. Roman Stoics like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius also focused on character rather than abstract principles. And they, too, saw moral virtue as constitutive of the good life– that is, being a morally good person is a key ingredient of living well and being happy. No-one who lacks virtue can possibly be living well, even if they have weal…
Objections to Virtue Ethics
- Needless to say, virtue ethics has its critics. Here are a few of the most common criticisms leveled against it. 1. “How can I flourish?” is really just a fancy way of asking “What will make me happy?” This may be a perfectly sensible question to ask, but it really isn’t a moral question. It’s a question about one’s self-interest. Morality, though, is all about how we treat other people. So thi…