lecture outline Virtue ethics for Spring 2023 wednesdays class (1)

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Kwantlen Polytechnic University *

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Philosophy

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Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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Virtue Ethics -- an overview Why is it morally right to send a sympathy card to a relative whose elderly parent recently died? Why is it morally right to cheer up a friend who is going through a painful breakup? Why is it morally wrong to steal money from someone’s wallet? Why is it morally right to speak up when someone is being bullied or being treated unfairly? Why is it morally wrong to copy a friend’s answers on a quiz when you forgot to study for it? Each normative ethical theory provides a different way of answering these, and other, questions. Utilitarians will answer these questions by looking to the consequences of doing these things. They follow the Greatest Happiness Principle. Kantians won’t answer these questions by looking at the consequences of doing the action. They are not consequentialists. Kantians are deontologists: they’d ask whether any of the above actions violated or were required by a moral duty. To determine what one’s duties are, Kantains follow the universal law version of the categorical imperative test or the humanity version of the categorical imperative test. The Universal Law test says an act does not violate a moral duty only if it is based on principles that one could consistently will as a universal law. The Humanity Test says to always act in ways that treat rational beings as ends in themselves, and never merely as means. Ross’s Pluralistic Deontology answers the above questions by seeing which conditional duty is strongest in that situation. In that sense, Ross’ theory, like Kant’s, is deontological. Ross admits that different conditional duties can conflict in a situation, and says you must study the situation as carefully as you can, and then make the best guess about which duty is strongest in that situation. His view is known as intuitionist because he thinks the basic, conditional rules of morality are self-evidently true (known through intuition) by any morally mature person. For Ross, the morally right thing to do in each of the above cases is to follow one’s strongest conditional duty. In a sense, each of the above ethical theories is principle based. For the utilitarian, we are to follow the Greatest Happiness Principle. For the Kantian, we are to follow the categorical imperative (one’s moral duty). For Ross’, we are to follow the most pressing duty. Virtue ethics views right and wrong differently. Rather than focusing on principles of right action, virtue theorists focus on the development of positive character traits (moral virtues). 1
Think about the people you most admire? Chances are they had some positive character traits that they habitually manifested. Who is this person? What did you admire about them? Moral Virtues can be defined as positive character traits that dispose one to act and to feel appropriately. ( what is this come in quiz) Examples of Moral Virtues Compassionate or kind Respectful Courageous cowardice rashness Hard working lazy workaholic Honest Understanding Malleable Charitable Generous Loyal Patient Self-control/level headed Trustworthy/dependable optimistic sense of humor these are all moral virtues because they help people’s lives go better, given that people are rational, social, creatures. To know how and when to exercise the moral virtues, especially when they seem to conflict, requires a special important virtue of practical wisdom (including emotional maturity). ## Eudaiminia will be in quiz- Virtue theorists sees moral virtues as rational for people to develop because they are the character traits that one needs for eudaimonia . Eudaimonia comes from the Ancient Greek and means “happiness” or “flourishing”. So, according to virtue theory, ethics is about trying to lead a flourishing human life. Doctrine of the Mean, explained The moral virtues all exist in the mean between 2 extremes: a deficiency of the virtue and an excess of the virtue. The deficiency and the excess of the virtue are vices. (character traits that are bad for people to have). Why it is difficult to be virtuous? Each virtue is surrounded by two vices, so that is one reason why it is hard to be virtuous. How one becomes virtuous? 2
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