Virtue Ethics(Aristotle)

Guiding Principle 3

Virtue Ethics

• A virtue is an admirable quality seen to produce success or benefit in a given community.

• So, in virtue ethics virtues are admirable qualities that lead to moral excellence!

• Modern day Virtue Ethics proponents include Elizabeth Anscombe and Alasdair MacIntyre

• A philosophy first developed by ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322BCE), who asked:– What does it mean to live a good life?

Aristotle

• Believed that we can make a conscious effort to be good

• “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” (Nicomachean Ethics)

• In Aristotle’s society there were very specific virtues that you needed to ‘be good’: strength, courage, comradeship (friendliness), justice, temperance (control) and wisdom.

• Virtue ethics suggests that people cannot live alone as individuals in a society.

• For society to work, we need to cooperate and live together.

• If there are virtues that everyone aspires to and practices, then society will be better for everyone.

• Aristotle believed that you could be a good man by practicing these virtues until they became ingrained in you, until you acted like that without needing to think about it:– You could become temperate by ensuring you controlled

your emotions and actions and did not go to extremes in anything.

– You became brave by doing actions that would be considered brave

Aristotle & The Good Life• Aristotle’s aim was for everyone to lead what he

called the ‘good life’ and achieve happiness (eudaimonia).

• People are not just naturally ‘happy’ – you must work for it.

• This good life could only be achieved by following the virtues.

• If you follow the virtues then you are living according to the Golden Mean (a balance between extremes of behaviour)

• Today, different societies might have different virtues that would lead to happiness (or more modern ways of expressing the same things Aristotle did!)

Judging People

• People are considered to be good by demonstrating that they are living according to virtues.

• This means that you are judged on your actions and their outcomes. You intentions do not count so much.

• For example, if you practice doing kind things and making others happy, then this will become a habit and you will begin to think in a kind way.

• If you do not genuinely want to be a kind person, then you will fail and people will see by your actions that you are not a good person.

Becoming Good• It is not enough to simply try and do ‘good stuff’• If you do not understand why something is a

virtue, you will not be able to practice it properly.• Due to this reason was also important to

Aristotle – you need to think through each situation, and understand how you should act in it (according to virtues)

• It is not easy to follow virtues – it requires understanding and effort.

• If people genuinely want to be good they can achieve it, through dedication and effort.

• This separates a virtuous man from a non-virtuous man.