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RS: ETHICS - VIRTUE THEORY - Coggle Diagram
RS: ETHICS - VIRTUE THEORY
THE VIRTUE THEORY
puts emphasis on one's character rather than following a set of rules
virtue is a skill/ way of living, which can only be learned through experience (aristotle)
character is developed through habituation - doing a virtuous thing over and over again will eventually make it become a part of your character (aristotle)
eudaimonia: life of striving, pushing yourself to your limits + finding success (living flourishingly)
a eudaimonic lifestyle is full of happiness that comes from achieving something difficult, instead of having something handed to you
focuses on moral agent that is doing the acting, instead of actions they perform
doesn't require religious belief, but does have characteristics that are compatible with religious teachings
concentrates on virtues as the most significant factor for ethical action
DEFINING PERSONAL QUALITIES OR PERSON'S CHARACTER
a virtuous person develops a habit of character that enables them to act virtuously in any situation
e.g.: a virtuous individual will choose honesty over lying, where the situation may offer the latter as an option
this theory plays down the importance of rules or principles as morality is understood in terms of inner traits, valuable for their own reasons
ARISTOTLE'S MORAL VIRTUES
aristotle came up with the idea that the ultimate purpose of this theory was to achieve eudaimonia
eudaimonia is an experience achieved by virtuous living, not living a life that focuses on personal enjoyment, or public service, or helping others
eudaimonia is achieved over a lifetime
only adult humans can achieve eudaimonia
animals cannot reason, and children lack an important quality
aristotle made it clear that there were distinctive intellectual and moral virtues, and that phronesis was an intellectual virtue only available to adults
phronesis: the ability to use practical wisdom, understanding that comes with life experience, understanding that comes with life experience, and work out how to be virtuous in any situation
to achieve eudaimonia, one must exercise certain values to become virtuous
done by fulfilling one's function in life: an excellent human lives a life of reason in accordance with virtue by devoting themselves to practice this way of life
MORAL AND INTELLECTUAL VIRTUES
MORAL VIRTUES
prudence - using practical wisdom/ prudence to work out how to be virtuous in situation
intuition - ability to grasp first principles of truth
art - ability to use reason to plan + produce in a situation
wisdom - most finished/ perfected form of knowledge
science - ability to demonstrate logical truth of a fact
INTELLECTUAL VIRTUES
temperance (excess: licentiousness, deficiency: insensibility)
liberality (excess: prodigality, deficiency: illiberality)
courage (excess: rashness, deficiency: cowardice)
magnificence (excess: vulgarity, deficiency: pettiness)
magnanimity (excess: vanity, deficiency: pusillanimity)
proper ambition (excess: ambition, deficiency: unambitiousness)
patience (excess: irascibility, deficiency: lack of spirit)
truthfulness (excess: boastfulness, deficiency: understatement)
wittiness (excess: buffoonery, deficiency: boorishness)
friendliness (excess: obsequiousness, deficiency: cantankerousness)
modesty (excess: shyness, deficiency: malicious enjoyment)
righteous indignation (excess: envy, deficiency: malicious enjoyment)
MORE ON INTELLECTUAL VIRTUES
qualities fall under a spectrum, in accordance to aristotle
the mean is the ideal, while the other two ends are excess and deficiency
the vice of excess is having too much of a quality, while the vice of deficiency is having too little
the mean is sometimes closer to the vice in some circumstances
only an adult with life experience + intellectual virtue can understand moral situations, apply phronesis, + understand the means response
ARISTOTLE'S VIEW ON PRACTICING VIRTUES
aristotle states some people may find it more difficult than others to be virtuous
those who live in a state of vice have no desire to achieve excellence
'incontinent': according to aristotle, people that make resolutions, understand what is best, but give into temptation/ act on a whim, rather than reason
'continent': calculate successfully + know their determined path, go through struggle + temptation, but can resist/ control their desires
the ideal person is virtuous, without struggle/ temptation, + has no difficulty in seeing the best options + following along
they live a life of excellence + virtue