This document is tailored to AQA Philosophy A-Level. It is a complete set of notes on Aristotelian Virtue Ethics, including counterarguments and replies etc. There are notes on the reciprocity of the virtues thesis, significance of voluntary/non-voluntary/involuntary/mixed action types, the golden ...
- ‘The good’ for human beings: the meaning of Eudaimonia as the ‘final end’ and the relationship between
Eudaimonia and pleasure.
- The function argument and the relationship between virtues and function.
- Aristotle’s account of virtues and vices: virtues as character traits/dispositions; the role of
education/habituation in the development of a moral character; the skill analogy; the importance of feelings;
the doctrine of the mean and its application to particular virtues.
- Moral responsibility: voluntary, involuntary, and non-voluntary actions.
- The relationship between virtues, actions and reasons and the role of practical reasoning/ practical wisdom.
- Issues including:
o whether Aristotelian virtue ethics can give sufficiently clear guidance about how to act
o clashing/competing virtues
o the possibility of circularity involved in defining virtuous acts and virtuous persons in terms of each
other
o whether a trait must contribute to Eudaimonia in order to be a virtue
o the relationship between the good for the individual and moral good.
Key Definitions
Ergon – the human function.
Telos – our purpose, or ‘end’.
Eudaimonia – our ultimate goal, ultimate happiness, that we must strive towards.
Literally, it translates to flourishing and wellbeing.
Phronesis – our practical reason which we can develop through ethical training and
education, becoming virtuous and thus happy. It is developed best in situations
when virtues are at stake.
Phronimos – the moral agent with practical wisdom, who is a good judge of ethical
situations.
Through habituation, we develop our capability for PHRONESIS (rational activity),
which is our ERGON (function), to each our TELOS (end goal), which is
Overview + Reciprocity of the Virtues Thesis
- Virtue ethics looks to the agent performing the actions, instead of the
consequences or motive.
o He says a virtuous person needs to know what they’re doing, and choose
the action for the sake of virtue.
- Aristotle doesn’t give us rules on how to behave, emphasising the centrality of
practical reasoning skills instead. These help us make the right decisions.
o Practical reasoning skills are central to virtue ethics, developed through
habituation. Just as we practice football to become a good footballer, we
must practice virtue (in situations where it is at stake, particularly) to
become phronimos.
o These skills help us make the right decision (Aristotle would say identify
the mean) in the situation we find ourselves in.
- To achieve EUDAIMONIA (ultimate happiness), we need PHRONESIS (practical
reason). This means practicing practical reasoning.
, - We can’t have phronesis without virtue of character and can't have character
virtues without practical reason (phronesis).
- This is the RECIPROCITY OF THE VIRTUES THESIS – a person with virtue must
have practical wisdom; a person with practical wisdom must have virtue.
Problem – Indeterminacy
- It is very indeterminately action-guiding. It can’t really guide you to be a more
moral person. If you’re facing a big moral decision, there is no decision
procedure to help you.
The doctrine of the mean can’t tell you whether or not to have an abortion
(Louden).
Reply – Guidance
- If you follow the guidance of Virtue ethics in regards to developing Phronesis,
you will be able to make the decision.
- Its flexibility is a good thing, the lack of prescriptive doctrine means you can
make the choice that is truly best.
Virtue and Action Types
- A virtuous person needs to...
o Know what they’re doing
o Choose the action for the sake of virtue
- To what extent they chose their action and knew what they were doing impacts
the degree of their moral responsibility for the action.
Voluntary actions: Contribute to our virtue character development. We are fully
responsible for them if…
(a) we fully intended to do it / its origin is within us
(b) we know what we are doing
(c) we chose freely.
This is the ideal procedure:
1. Wish
2. Deliberation
3. Choice
4. Voluntary action
5. Habituation
6. Virtue
Non-Voluntary actions: These are done out of ignorance. Responsibility depends on if
we regret them or not; if, after, you wish that you had done differently, then you aren’t
responsible.
Involuntary actions: These are those contrary to our intentions. We are not responsible
for them if they are
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