Virtue Ethics

Agent-centered

• Focuses holistically on the character of the agent, judging their behaviour to see if they’re virtuous or not

• Aretaic ethics - focuses on excellence of character

• Consider the past, present and future actions

Virtues

A disposition or character trait possessed by good people.

• Enable us to act according to reason

• Constructive & beneficial for society

  • Generosity

  • Justice

  • Compassion

The Function Argument

1. Everything has a purpose

2. A good thing is one that functions well

3. A good human is one that functions well

   (Our unique function is reason - ergon)

4. “Functions well” means living a good life

   Flourishing, and achieving one’s potential. It is to develop excellent character traits which help us to live well

5. Eudaimonia is a life that’s lived well, where an individual flourishes and helps others to do the same

Eudaimonia

“Human Flourishing”

• Property of someone’s life taken as a whole

  • Full of actions chosen according to reason

• Final end & valuable for it’s own sake

  • We don’t try to achieve it as a means for some goal

The Good for human beings

Relationship between Eudaimonia & Pleasure

Relationship between Function & Virtues

Account of Virtues & Vices

Role of Education & Habituation

Skill Analogy

Importance of Feelings

Doctrine of the Mean

Relationship between Virtues, Actions & Reasons

Role of Practical Wisdom

Moral Responsibility

Theoretical Reason

• The contemplation of truth

• What’s highest about human beings

• The ability to contemplate general truths allows us to share in “divinity”

Eudaimonia including theoretical reason

P1) This activity is best, as theoretical reason is the best thing within us and with it we contemplate what is best, not merely why is best for us (as in pratical wisdom)

P2) We are able to undertake this activity more continuously than any other activity so it leads us to the most continuously happy life

P3) if it’s the most pleasant activity it’s pleasures are most pure and enduring unlike pleasures of the body

P4) it’s the most self-sufficient activity. Nothing further arises from it (knowledge for its own sake) while in other virtuous activities we normally gain something beyond doing the action

P5) we are active in order to have leisure (doing activities we wish to undertake) we only undertake war in order to gain peace. They serve the activity of reason.

C1) the best and most pleasant life for us given our nature will be a life of reason. The life of the philosopher (or one dedicated to knowledge) will be the best life