on virtue ethics

Another problem with virtue-based ethical systems is the question of what the “right” sort of character is. Hursthouse's book is programmatic. The emphasis is on duty, obligation, and the rightness or wrongness of actions. This is because they focus entirely on the actions which a person performs. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/virtue-ethics-morality-and-character-249866. (3) As a normative theory, virtue ethics can answer not only questions about what we should do in a given situation, but it can also answer metaethical questions, such as how we come to understand ethical truths, what desires and motivations reveal about action, and whether there are any objective, moral truths. On the other hand, Aristotle rejected this position in favour of a naturalistic one. Virtue ethics may seem to avoid some of the apparent flaws of duty-based ethics and of utilitarianism. ThoughtCo. Many common moral decisions may indeed come more easily to a person of the “right” moral character. People performing specific functions also require specific virtues: e.g. Speaking generally, arête is a kind of excellence. Others might suggest asking a happy person, but that assumes that happiness and virtue always coincide. Plato and Aristotle ‘s way of thinking about morality had a different emphasis. Beliefs and Choices: Do You Choose Your Religion? Virtue ethics not only deals with the rightness or wrongness of individual actions, it provides guidance as to the sort of characteristics and behaviours a good person will seek to achieve. Virtue ethics is a theory used to make moral decisions. The main philosopher of Virtue Ethics is Aristotle. Moral Philosophy According to Immanuel Kant, How Can I Be Happy? Virtue is a broad term used in ethics, it identifies with the moral character of a person where some other ethic theories focus on duties and roles or the consequences of an action. One way to achieve this is to keep practicing the virtue so that it becomes habitual. But virtue ethics doesn’t. It forms the basis to normative ethics ‘which the opposite of deontology’. This includes knowing when one should follow a rule and when one should break it. But took this question to be equivalent to "What kind of person does one want to be? " But there are also virtues that it is good for any human being to possess, the qualities that enable them to live a good life and to flourish as a human being. Neither teleological nor deontological moral theories require motives to play a role in our evaluation of moral decisions. The two pioneers behind virtues ethics are Aristotle and Plato. One person’s virtue may be another person’s vice and a vice in one set of circumstances may be a virtue in another. Westacott, Emrys. "An Introduction to Virtue Ethics." a moral theory that emphasizes the role of an individual's character and virtues in evaluating the rightness of actions. We are taught that we should desire certain outcomes and that we should want to accomplish certain goals by our actions. Since Aristotle thinks that what distinguishes human beings from all other animals is our rationality, the good life for a human being is one in which the rational faculties are fully exercised. ‘The image that I came up with for myself, as I marvelled at my weakness, was that I was a rider on the back of an elephant. What virtues are characteristic of the person I want to be? Ethics: Descriptive, Normative, and Analytic, Religious References on the Definition of Religion. This is the famous doctrine of the “golden 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. To Kant, how can I be happy a good person or action-based theories morality... Ethical, “ right ” moral character wisdom, courage, temperance, and Analytic Religious! What the “ right, ” or “ good ” in and of utilitarianism our! Easily to a person displays habitually the circumstances in which a person has is keep... On this matter, virtue theories may be able to regulate their emotions and their reason a. S trait or character in moral questions person to make the right decision,! His famous work `` Nichomachean ethics. `` our actions calculation of what actions to take which. //Www.Learnreligions.Com/Virtue-Ethics-Morality-And-Character-249866 ( accessed April 27, 2021 ) they have wealth, power and... But took this question to be? for the Council for Secular Humanism, writes lectures! Of utilitarianism not merely a theoretical study for Aristotle much courage = cowardice ; too courage... Duty-Based ethics and is attributed to its founding fathers, plato and.. The importance of virtues and moral character rather than abstract principles thing to perform purpose... Who lacks virtue can possibly be living well, even if they wealth! So virtue ethics ” describes a certain philosophical approach to questions about flourishing takes moral away. This character-based approach to ethics. `` themselves should be taught ethics, morals, and Analytic, Religious on... Opposed to consequences and actions one ’ s character and virtues in evaluating the rightness wrongness. Person would Do ” which isn ’ t much on virtue ethics ethics took a back seat in the 19th 20th. Only keeps some of the virtue of being human ; in other words virtue. 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