This document provides summaries of philosophical literature on various topics related to virtue ethics, including works on Aristotle's ethics, contemporary virtue theory, the virtues of courage, compassion, self-love/self-respect, and pride. It also includes sample discussion questions on human flourishing and Aristotle's conception of virtues promoting human flourishing. The document synthesizes key ideas, authors, and publications across each subject area in a comprehensive overview of the virtue ethics philosophical literature.
This document provides summaries of philosophical literature on various topics related to virtue ethics, including works on Aristotle's ethics, contemporary virtue theory, the virtues of courage, compassion, self-love/self-respect, and pride. It also includes sample discussion questions on human flourishing and Aristotle's conception of virtues promoting human flourishing. The document synthesizes key ideas, authors, and publications across each subject area in a comprehensive overview of the virtue ethics philosophical literature.
This document provides summaries of philosophical literature on various topics related to virtue ethics, including works on Aristotle's ethics, contemporary virtue theory, the virtues of courage, compassion, self-love/self-respect, and pride. It also includes sample discussion questions on human flourishing and Aristotle's conception of virtues promoting human flourishing. The document synthesizes key ideas, authors, and publications across each subject area in a comprehensive overview of the virtue ethics philosophical literature.
General works on Aristotle include Sir David Rosss Aristotle, W. K. C. Guthries section on Aristotle in his A History of Greek Philosophy (Cambride! Cambride "niversit# $ress%. Works s&eci'icall# on his ethics include (anc# Shermans The Fabric of Character: Aristotles Theory of Virtue ()*'ord! Clarendon $ress, +,-,%. /ohn Coo&ers Reason and Human Good in Aristotle (Cambride! 0arvard "niversit# $ress, +,12%. W. 3. R. 0ardies Aristotles thical Theory ()*'ord! Clarendon $ress, +,-4%. Richard Kraut5s Aristotle on the Human Good ($rinceton! $rinceton "niversit# $ress, +,-,%. 6roels 7nber8$edersens Aristotles Theory of !oral "nsi#ht. Sarah 9roadies thics $ith Aristotle ((ew :ork! )*'ord "niversit# $ress, +,,+%. and /ulia Annas, The !orality of Happiness ((ew :ork! )*'ord "niversit# $ress, +,,;%. 6wo e*cellent antholoies o' articles on Aristotles ethics are Am<lie Rort#s ssays on Aristotles thics (9erkele#! "niversit# o' Cali'ornia $ress, +,-4% and 9arnes, Scho'ield, and Sorab=is Articles on Aristotle: %& thics and Politics ((ew :ork! St. >artins, +,11%. the latter contains an e*cellent bibliora&h#. )ne o' the most 'ascinatin treatments o' Aristotles ethics is to be 'ound in $art 6hree o' >artha (ussbaums The Fra#ility of Goodness: 'uck and thics in Greek Tra#edy and Philosophy (Cambride! 0arvard "niversit# $ress, +,-?%. also see her The Therapy of (esire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic thics ($rinceton! $rinceton "niversit# $ress, +,,@%. 3or a &erce&tive discussion and evaluation o' Aristotles ethics in liht o' current work in 'eminist ethics, see >arcia 0omiak, A3eminism and Aristotles Rational Bdeal,A in A !ind of )nes )$n: Feminist ssays on Reason and )b*ecti+ity (9oulder, Colorado! Westview $ress, +,,;%, &&. +8+-. Contemporary Virtue Theory 6he contem&orar# resurence o' interest in the virtues beins with $hili&&a 3oots ACirtues and CicesA in her Virtues and Vices and )ther ssays "n !oral Philosophy (9erkele# and Dos Aneles! "niversit# o' Cali'ornia $ress, +,1-%, &&. +8+- and Alasdair >acBnt#res After Virtue, End edition ((otre Dame! "niversit# o' (otre Dame $ress, +,-@%. Several reviews o' the recent literature are noteworth#! Arthur 3lemins AReviewin the Cirtues,A thics, Col. ,4 (+,-4%, &&. 2-18,2. Greor# $ences ARecent Work on the Cirtues,A American Philosophical ,uarterly, Col. E+, (o. @ ()ctober, +,-@%, &&. E-+8,1 and his ACirtue 6heor#,A A Companion to thics, edited b# $eter Siner ()*'ord! 9asil 9lackwell, +,,+%, &&. E@,82-. >arcia 9arons ACarieties o' 7thics o' Cirtue,A American Philosophical ,uarterly, Col. EE (/anuar#, +,-2%, @182;. Greor# 6rianosk#s AWhat Bs Cirtue 7thics All AboutFA American Philosophical ,uarterly, Col. E1, (o. @ ()ctober, +,,4%, &&. ;;28@@. and $hilli& >ontaue, ACirtue 7thics! A Guali'ied Success Stor#,A American Philosophical ,uarterly, Col. E,, (o. + (/anuar#, +,,E%, &&. 2;8?+. 3or an insiht'ul anal#sis into historical views o' virtue, see Richard White, A0istorical $ers&ectives on the >oralit# o' Cirtue,A The -ournal of Value "n.uiry, Col. E2 (+,,+%, &&. E+18;+. Also see the e*cellent bibliora&h# in The Virtues, edited b# Robert 9. KruschwitH and Robert C. Roberts (9elmont, Cali'ornia! Wadsworth, +,-1%. )ther collections o' contem&orar# articles on virtues and vices include Sommers and Sommers, Vice and Virtue in +eryday 'ife, ; rd 7dition (San Dieo! 0arcourt, 9race and /ovanovich, +,,E%. Col. IBBB o' !id$est /tudies in Philosophy (+,--% on virtue theor#. the s&ecial double issue on the virtues in Philosophia, Col. E4 (+,,4%. 3lanaan and Rort#s "dentity0 Character0 and !orality (Cambride! >B6 $ress, +,,4%. 0alberstams Virtues and Values (7nlewood Cli''s! $rentice80all, +,--%. Virtue, edited b# /ohn W. Cha&man and William A. Galston ((ew :ork! (ew :ork "niversit# $ress, +,,E% and /ohn Deihs thics and Personality: ssays in !oral Psycholo#y (Chicao! "niversit# o' Chicao $ress, +,,E%. )n the more &o&ular 'ront, see William 9ennett, The 1ook of Virtues ((ew :ork! Simon J Schuster, +,,;%. /oel Ku&&ermans Character ((ew :ork! )*'ord "niversit# $ress, +,,+% &resents a character8based ethical theor# that &laces the discussion o' &articular virtues and vices within the conte*t o' the individuals character. 3or a utilitarian a&&roach to virtue, see /ohn Kilcullen, A"tilitarianism and Cirtue,A thics, Col. ,;, (o. ; (A&ril, +,-;%, &&. @2+8??. Courage Aristotles discussion o' courae a&&ears &rimaril# in his 2ichomachean thics, 9ook BBB, Cha&ters ?8,. David $ears ACourae as a >eanA in Rort#s ssays on Aristotles thics (9erkele#! "niversit# o' Cali'ornia $ress, +,-4% is an insiht'ul, detailed consideration o' Aristotles views on this virtue. 'or a critiKue o' $ears5 &osition, see >ichael Stocker5s ACourae, the Doctrine o' the >ean, and the $ossibilit# o' 7valuative and 7motional CoherenceA in his Plural and Conflictin# Values ()*'ord! Clarendon $ress, +,,4%, &&. +E,8?@. Doulas Waltons Coura#e (9erkele#! "niversit# o' Cali'ornia $ress, +,-?% &rovides a standard account o' courae that 'ocuses on couraeous actions rather than character, while Dee :earle#s !encius and A.uinas: Theories of Virtue and Conceptions of Coura#e (Alban#! State "niversit# o' (ew :ork $ress, +,,4% o''ers an interestin cross8cultural com&arison between the thouht o' an earl# Con'ucian and a medieval Christian. 3or a &rovocative &icture o' courae which also reconiHes its neative side, see Am<lie Rort#s A6wo 3aces o' CouraeA in her !ind in Action (9oston! 9eacon $ress, +,--%. Also see Cha&ter 6wo, ACourae,A in /ohn Case#s Pa#an Virtue ()*'ord! Clarendon $ress, +,,4%. )n ordinar# courae in adolescent irls, see D#n >ikel 9rown and Carol Gillian, !eetin# at the Crossroads: 3omens Psycholo#y and Girls (e+elopment (Cambride! 0arvard "niversit# $ress, +,,E% and Annie Roers &a&er, A6he Develo&ment o' Courae in Girls and Women,A Har+ard ducational Re+ie$ (+,,;%. 3or an account o' Rhonda Cornums e*&eriences as a &risoner o' war, see, /he 3ent to 3ar b# Rhonda Cornum as told to $eter Co&eland ((ovato, Cali'ornia! $residio $ress, +,,E%. 3or an insiht'ul discussion o' ender and virtue in Aristotle, see AGendered Cirtue! $lato and Aristotle on the $olitics o' Cirilit#,A Cha&ter 3our o' Ste&hen G. Salkever5s Findin# the !ean ($rinceton! $rinceton "niversit# $ress, +,,4%, &&. +?28E4@. Compassion 6he e*&licitl# &hiloso&hical literature on com&assion is relativel# limited. 6he best &ieces are Dawrence 9lums ACom&assion,A 4plainin# motions, edited b# A. ). Rort# (9erkele#! "niversit# o' Cali'ornia $ress, +,-4%, &&. 2418+-. (anc# Snows ACom&assion,A American Philosophical ,uarterly, Col. E-, (o. ; (/ul#, +,,+%, &&. +,28E42. and Adrian >. S. $i&er, ABm&artialit#, Com&assion, and >odal Bmaination,A thics, Col. +4+, (o. @ (/ul#, +,,+%, &&. 1E?821. also see the section on com&assion in Richard 6a#lors Good and +il ((ew :ork! >acmillan, +,14%. 3or a &erce&tive and intriuin discussion o' the &lace o' com&assion in contem&orar# American li'e, see Robert Wuthnows Acts of Compassion ($rinceton! $rinceton "niversit# $ress, +,,+%. 6he stor# o' the villae o' De Chambon is recounted in $hili& 0allies 'est "nnocent 1lood 1e /hed ((ew :ork! 0ar&er Colo&hon, +,1,% and his articles, ASke&ticism, (arrative, and 0olocaust 7thics,A Philosophical Forum and his A3rom Cruelt# to Goodness,A Vice and Virtue in +eryday 'ife, edited b# Christina Sommers and 3red Sommers, ; rd edition (San Dieo! 0arcourt, 9race and /ovanovich, +,,E%. Self-Love and Self-Respect 6here is an e*tensive literature on the issue o' sel'8love and sel'8res&ect. 3or an insiht'ul discussion o' Aristotle5s &osition on this issue, see >arcia 0omiak5s ACirtue and Sel'8Dove in Aristotle5s 7thics,A The Canadian -ournal of Philosophy, Col. ++, (o. @ (December, +,-+%, &&. ?;;82+. )n the relationshi& between sel'8love and 'riendshi& in Aristotle, see es&eciall# Richard Kraut5s Aristotle on Human Good ($rinceton! $rinceton "niversit# $ress, +,-,%. )ne o' the most in'luential contem&orar# &hiloso&hical articles on sel'8res&ect is 6homas 0ill5s AServilit# and Sel'8Res&ect,A re&rinted in his Autonomy and /elf5Respect (Cambride! Cambride "niversit# $ress, +,,+%. Bnterestin res&onses to 0ill5s article include Darr# 9lum, >arcia 0omiak, /ud# 0ousman, and (aomi Scheman, AAltruism and Women5s )&&ression.A Philosophical Forum, Col. 2 (+,12%, &&. EEE8@1. Geore Sher, A)ur $re'erences, )urselves.A and >aril#n 3riedman5s A>oral Bnterit# and the De'erential Wi'e,A Philosophical /tudies, Col. @1, (o. + (+,-2%, &&. +@+824. )n the relationshi& between sel'8res&ect and race, see >ichelle >. >ood#8Adams, ARace, Class, and the Social Construction o' Sel'8Res&ect,A Philosophical Forum, Col. IIBC, (os. +8; (3all8S&rin, +,,E8,;%, &&. E2+8??. 3or a su&erb discussion o' sel'8 interest and related conce&ts that challenes the traditional dichotom# between sel' and other, see Kell# Roers, A9e#ond Sel' and )ther,A /ocial Philosophy 6 Policy, Col. +@, (o. + (Winter, +,,1%, &&. +8E4. ride 3or a brie' but e*cellent overview o' issues about &ride, see Dawrence 9eckers A$ride,A ncyclopedia of thics, edited b# Dawrence C. 9ecker and Charlotte 9. 9ecker ((ew :ork! Garland $ublishin, Bnc., +,,E%, Col. BB, &&. +4+;8+2. Also see Gabriele 6a#lor, Pride0 /hame and Guilt: motions of /elf5Assessment ()*'ord! )*'ord "niversit# $ress, +,-2% and (orvin Richards, Humility ($hiladel&hia! 6em&le "niversit# $ress, +,,E%. !iscussion "uestions +. 0uman 3lourishin. 3or Aristotle, virtues are those strenths o' character that &romote human 'lourishin. 9ut e*actl# what is human 'lourishinF Address #oursel' to both the substantive and the e&istemoloical issues that this Kuestion raises. Can #ou ive an# e*am&les o' someone who is clearl# not 'lourishinF Are there an# di''iculties in kno$in# whether someone is 'lourishinF Are there man# di''erent leitimate conce&tions o' human 'lourishinF B' so, how do #ou deal with these di''icultiesF E. Gender and Cirtue. B have suested that there are t#&icall# some ender di''erences in our societ# in reard to virtues such as courae and com&assion. 9ased on #our own e*&erience, do #ou think this is trueF Are there an# other virtues in our societ# that e*hibit ender di''erencesF Are there an# vices that are valued di''erentl# in men and womenF Are there reasons wh# virtues and vices should be di''erent 'or women and 'or menF 3. 6he Cirtue o' 3ortiveness. /oin a discussion o' the issue o' 'oriveness on the World Wide Web at htt&!LLethics.sandieo.eduLscri&tsLwebI.e*eF2-MM.ee?bE'b. )ne o' the virtues not discussed in this cha&ter is 'oriveness. 6hink about the &lace o' 'oriveness in a &ersons character. Bs it ever &ossible to be too 'orivinF not 'orivin enouhF Does not 'orivin sometimes &la# a &ositive role in our livesF 0ow does too little 'oriveness detract 'rom human 'lourishinF Wh# is it sometimes hard not to 'orive anotherF B' it is &ossible to be too 'orivin, how could this detract 'rom human 'lourishinF Wh# is it sometimes hard to 'oriveF 0ow does 'orivinNand not 'orivinN#oursel' relate to human 'lourishinF 0ow does sel'8'oriveness di''er 'rom 'oriveness o' other &eo&leF 7*&lain. @. 3lourishin and Continenc#. Aristotle said Acount no man ha&&# until he is dead.A What does this meanF Bs it trueF Wh# must virtue (and human 'lourishin% wait that lonF 2. Courae. 6he movies Glory and The Color Purple &resent Kuite di''erent views o' courae. Com&are these two movies in reard to the relationshi& between courae and ender. What does such a com&arison suest about this relationshi&F ?. Courae and Ciolence. Bs Gandhi couraeousF B' so, what does that suest about the relationshi& between courae and violenceF 0ow does this contrast with the &icture o' the relationshi& between courae and violence in GloryF Bs the willinness to 'iht necessaril# a sin o' couraeF