Virtue ethics is a way of thinking about what's right or wrong based on a person's character. It focuses on developing good habits and traits, like honesty, kindness, and courage. Instead of following strict rules, virtue ethics encourages people to make decisions based on their inner moral compass...
VIRTUE ETHICS
- Believes in pursuing virtues or ideal character traits rather than following a set of rules is what makes us
moral. Focusing on being a good person will eventually lead to doing the right actions.
- Concerned with the whole of a person's life, rather than episodes or actions for it focuses on the
characteristics and behavior a good person seeks to achieve.
THOMAS AQUINAS’ THEORY OF VIRTUE ETHICS
- Believes that people need to identify meaningful goals before they can act which involves two concepts:
(1) Principles (rules about how to act) and (2) Virtues (traits which are taken to be good or moral to have). The
purpose of these concepts is to direct people towards the goal of human fulfillment or living a worthwhile life
which means that morality is bringing moral order to one’s own action and will (i.e., considering the effects of
your actions towards yourself before others).
- Believes that the motive of an action is also crucial, and two apparently identical acts may be right and wrong
because of their motives (e.g., Deliberately killing someone in self-defense because of hatred towards them is
wrong, whereas killing someone as a side-effect of fighting off their attack is justified).
Principles:
1. Moral thought is that good should be pursued, and evil avoided. Interpreted as the golden rule, “Do unto
others as you would have them unto you.”
2. Moral thought should aim towards six basic human goods:(1)life,(2)knowledge,(3)friendship,
(4) marriage, (5) religion, and (6) practical reason. Murder is wrong for it removes the good of life. Lying is also
wrong because it violates the purpose of knowledge and reason. Premarital sex and adultery is wrong because
it goes against the concept of ‘good’ marriage.
Four Virtues:
1. Prudence. Doing the right thing at the right time, in the right place, and in the right manner.
2. Temperance. Denotes moderation of desires and physical pleasures such as eating, drinking, and sex.
3. Courage. The desire to do actions that are difficult to attain or avoid,and the act of restraining fear to do
actions rightly.
4. Justice. A disposition to give others what they are entitled to (rights) which serves as a guide in interacting
with other people and developing relationships.
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