This is an essay plan for Aristotle's Virtue ethics within the Moral Philosophy unit of Philosophy AQA a-level.
- unique and strong argument that will help you stand out
- Comes with a written introduction and conclusion
- 3 core arguments with back and forth counterarguments, to get A03 ma...
ASSESS VIRTUE ETHICS
Virtue ethics is an insu cient account of moral philosophy due to the issue of circularity.
VE is entirely reliant on practical wisdom, which can only be explained through habituating
virtues. However, we can only truly understand virtues through having practical wisdom.
So vague - could be interpreted to t someone’s pre- existing ideas
De ne virtue ethics of what’s moral as its so subjective. Not everyone has a virtuous
character and therefore how can we access the virtuous way of
living or assess how others are living.
No clear guidance
Problems
Never intended to provide a set of rules (practical wisdom)
rely on time context Aristotle was alive in 300BC, what was valuable and important is di erent
to now. So how can we be certain we’re living virtuously if the hedonic
calculus is so outdated. Even if practical wisdom was enough guidance,
Substantial Competing virtues we could be using it to nd the golden mean of a virtue we no longer value.
issue
Impossible (practical wisdom) Lacks practical application = not useful as a theory
How can we develop practical wisdom if we can’t understand
Circularity the virtues we are supposed to habituate in order to access it.
Defeating describes the virtuous person in terms of eudiamonia
Di erence between eudaimonia and moral good
If virtue ethics is to be considered an ethical theory it must provide
guidance for a moral life. However, eudiamonia de nes a good life,
not necessarily a moral life. Therefore, the issue of circularity when
deciding on a moral action, cannot be solved by eudaimonia as
eudaimonia doesn’t provide a moral guide.
fffi fi ffi fi fi ff
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller sashamortonsmyth. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £2.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
