St.

Paul University Surigao

St. Paul University System

8400 Surigao City, Philippines

MODULE 4

FRAMEWORKS AND PRINCIPLES BEHIND OUR MORAL DISPOSITION

Introduction

There’s a moral dictum which says, “Your ‘doing’ creates your ‘being’ and your ‘being’ directs your
‘doing’”. This simply means that what you constantly do in life will gradually become your character, your being.
Another adage from an anonymous writer which says, “Sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a virtue; sow
a virtue, reap a character, and sow a character, reap a destiny.” If one constantly tells a lie, he/she becomes a
liar but if one constantly tells the truth, he/she becomes an honest person. Hence, one becomes a virtuous
person -- but this requires constant and a life-long practice. In Christian morality, this is called “freedom for
excellence” (Socias, 2007:45). In real life, we have heard taxi drivers returning huge amount of money to the
authorities and consequently to their passengers. It is because they have practiced and mastered honesty in
their day to day lives. On the other hand, there are other taxi drivers who constantly practiced not the virtues but
the vices, hence, became dishonest and swindlers.
In the religious realm, there’s a question, does the Blessed Virgin Mary, as a human person, exercise
her freedom? Mary’s fiat (YES) is her expression of freedom. Her consistent yes to God’s will is an epitome of
the freedom of the children of God. Mary has mastered herself and the exercise of her freedom. Like any other
normal human beings, she has the choice but since she has self-mastery she habitually chooses to do the good
and the will of God, that is, to love others and God.
Our last ethical theory, Virtue Ethics, is a particular moral framework which is sometimes called as
“‘character ethics’ for its primary and special emphasis on the acquisition and development of an excellent or
virtuous character” (Fernandez, 2018:171). He continued:
More specifically, virtue ethics is practically concerned with the whole question of “what kind
of person should I be?” rather than the common and dominant ethical pursuit as to the “right
thing to do.” In fact, “[m]ost of the ancient thinkers approach ethics by asking What traits of
character make someone a good person? ” (Rachels & Rachels 2015:159) rather that asking
what particular principle can be applied in order to do what is right? So morality’s central
theme, based on virtue ethics, is…”[mainly about] producing excellent persons, who act well
out of spontaneous goodness and serve as examples to inspire others” (Pojman & Fieser
2017:135).

TOPIC : VIRTUE ETHICS

HOURS : 3 1/2 hours

LEARNING 1. Pinpoint with examples particular Filipino virtues;

OUTCOMES
 2. Substantiate/Refute all concepts on Virtue Ethics; and ((LO8)
3. Agree/Disagree on the Virtue Theory of Aristotle. (LO7)

TEACHING- :
LEARNING
ACTIVITIES

1. Pre-discussion Exercises:
 In tabular form, come up with a list of five specific examples of particular virtues that are
commonly found among Filipinos. Identify their (virtues) corresponding excesses and
deficiencies.
 Identify a member of your own community whom you think possesses a virtuous character.
Describe specifically the kind of life that this person is living. Give comments.

2. Big Group Discussion on the following: Virtue Ethics as Character Ethics, Virtue as Habit, Virtue as
Acquired and a Product of Effort, Virtue, Reason and the Pursuit of Happiness, Virtue
and Golden Mean. Sample situations will be solicited from the students.

Processing: (Adapted from Fernandez, 2018:171-177)

Virtue Ethics as an Ethics of Character

Virtue ethics is a specific ethical theory that is originally found in the philosophy if the ancient Greek
thinker Aristotle (384-332B.C.E.), undoubtedly one of history’s greatest minds. This particular moral paradigm has
also come to be known as “character ethics” for its primary and special emphasis on the acquisition and development
of an excellent or virtuous character.
More specifically, virtue ethics is practiced concerned with the whole questions of “what kind of person
should I be?” rather than the common and dominant ethical pursuit as to the “right thing to do.” In fact, “[m]ost of the
ancient thinkers approach ethics by asking What traits of character make someone a good person?” (Rachels &
Rachels 2015:159) rather than asking what particular principle can be applied in order to do what is right? So
morality’s central theme, based on virtue ethics, is. . . “[mainly about] producing excellent persons, who act well out of
spontaneous goodness and serve as examples to inspire others” (Pojman & Fieser 2017:135).

Virtue is a Habit

According to Aristotle, virtue or excellence (from the Greek work arête) is essentially a kind of
“disposition” to act well or excellently (living well). “Virtues are special moral qualities . . . [and] trained behavioral
dispositions that result in habitual acts of moral goodness” (Pojman & Fieser 2017:135). To do virtuous act does
automatically turn an individual into a virtuous person, since virtue is not “just an act”—but a habit.
“Virtue is a trait of character manifested in a habitual action” (Rachels & Rachels 2015:161). For
instance . . . “[t]he virtue of honesty is not possessed by someone who tells the truth occasionally or only when it
benefits her. The honest person is truthful as a matter of course; [his]/her actions ‘spring from a firm and
unchangeable character” (Rachels & Rachels 2015:161).
This means that a person or an individual becomes good or moral not by doing a singular act of
goodness but by acting, or rather, by doing the good repeatedly or regularly, so it will become a habit. Thus making it
an integral and inseparable part of one’s daily life and conduct. To become a virtuous person therefore is to make the
virtues (that is, the good/positive and desirable character traits) as the defining feature of one’s being.
A person can then be said to be good or moral if she is a person of character. A person of character
embodies the positive qualities such as wisdom, courage, temperance, justice, magnanimity, among others. One’s
personal character then is the result or by-product of acts or deeds of repeated goodness. One is a good person or a
person of virtue not really because of what one does but of what one is. Being precedes doing. Goodness is simply a
logical consequence of one’s character or identity.
So when virtuous people are confronted with certain or specific moral situations, they will naturally do
the right thing precisely because doing the right thing is part of who they are, of their character, of their inner core.
One does the good precisely because one is good, not the other way around.
So when people are said to be morally good, this is so “because of their good character that enables
them to spontaneously do the right thing. [Thus], there is a teleological (that is, “goal—oriented”) aspect in virtue
ethics, but it differs from the kind usually found in utilitarianism, which asks what sort of action will maximize
happiness or utility. The virtue-based concept of teleology focuses, rather, on the goal of life: living well and achieving
excellence” (Pojman & Fieser 2017:135)

Virtue is Acquired and a Product of Effort

How do people become good and virtuous? Is it something that they are born with and thus innate? Or,
is it something that is acquired, learned and developed?
For Aristotle, virtue is not something that a person is born with. Rather it is something that the individual
has to earn through effort, dedication, and persistence. It is also something that is achieved through and with others.
One cannot become virtuous apart from the community. There is therefore here a sense of a communitarian aspect
to the attainment and development of the virtues. It is something that is not possible in isolation. The acquisition of a
virtuous character is also a process that requires time. Its attainment is one of a lifetime endeavor. As a process,
virtues are then acquired and developed through constant practice, for practice creates a habit of acting in a virtuous
way. As the saying goes: “practice makes one perfect.”
Thus, individuals are not born good or evil. Becoming good or evil is a matter of learning and habit, through
practice. Virtue then is a developmental concept and is intimately linked to our striving for excellence. For example,
one can only become a good basketball player by developing certain skills that would take certain amount of time,
discipline and effort. The acquisition of the skills needed to be a good basketball player requires one to constantly
practice. Through constant practice, one then becomes slowly a good basketball player. So becoming what one aims
to be does not happen overnight, for this goes with doing the work persistently, consistently and unfailingly.
Everything has to go through a process. One therefore has to learn to trust the process.

Virtue, Reason and the Pursuit of Happiness

Another important and related teaching of Aristotle on virtue is his philosophy regarding the pursuit of
happiness or human flourishing/fulfillment. “How do we become happy people? Aristotle thinks we do so through
having the right habits, which he describes as virtues. . . [which] are (as mentioned) ingrained dispositions that are
conducive to living well” (Solomon & Higgins 2017:271).
According to him, a happy life is a life of virtue. Such a life involves reason (rational contemplation). More
specifically a life of reason is one that is devoted to rational activities such as thinking and reasoning. It is essentially
the life of a philosopher, a life of a thinker. This kind of life gives man the deepest joy and happiness since this is the
life that we human can share with the gods. One that is dedicated to the contemplation of divine and eternal truths.
In understanding man’s pursuit for happiness, Aristotle says “. . .that every act that person does is directed
towards a particular purpose, aim, or what the Greeks called telos. There is a purpose why one does something. . . .
a person’s action manifests a good that she aspires for. For every pursuit of a person hopes to achieve a good . . . .
The good is considered to be the telos or purpose for which all seek to achieve” (as cited in Bulaong et al. 2018:83).

Now, what is the good and how does this relate to the pursuit of happiness for man?

In this highly influential book Nichomachean Ethics (a book said to be named after his son Nichomachus),
Aristotle discerns basically the nature of human happiness (eudaemonia) as the ultimate and final goal of all human
striving, by reference to our special and unique function as human beings. For him, something is good if it functions
according to its nature. If it serves the very purpose of its being. Say, a knife is good if it is able to cut (well) a ball pen
is good if it is able to write well on paper. The same is true with the human being. A good human being is one that
functions according to his essence.

So what is the essence of a human being? What makes him truly as one? What is his truest nature?

The answer to all these, following Aristotle’s thinking, is that, we humans are unique in our capacity to
exercise rationality in our conduct and decisions. The excellent use of reason is what Aristotle considers as a
“virtuous activity.” Virtue is “…an activity of the soul or a course of action in accordance with reason” (Camp et al.
2015:22). And philosophic contemplation, as previously mentioned, represents the very summit of all human pursuits
and activities. And since reason is distinct and unique in man, it is only logical that it should be the one to direct and
governed all his activities and pursuits, without of course neglecting other capacities in various spheres of his
existence.
Thus, to be happy, which is the ultimate and highest human good or eudaemonia (total well-being or
happiness), is to live a life of virtue. And to live virtuously, is to live a life of reason, which is in accordance with our
truest nature. “Thus, a happy individual is one who lives in accordance with our truest nature. “Thus, a happy
individual is one who lives in accordance with reason, and each individual should develop [the] virtues (character
traits and disposition) that lead to this goal [of achieving the highest good]” (Camp et al. 2015:22). This can be
achieved practically through a life of moderation. This then leads us, finally, to a discussion on virtue and the Golden
mean.

Virtue and the Golden Mean

A final important concept in Aristotle’s ethics where he “provides a unifying framework for understanding
virtue in general as a mean between two extremes” (Mackinnon & Fiala 2015:151) is his teachings on living a good
and reason life through moderation, as expressed in a doctrine known as the Golden Mean. (The Golden Mean
should not be confused with the Golden Rule of Buddha and of the Bible, for they are different.)
This particular doctrine teaches that we have to live and practice a life that avoid both extremes: excess and
deficiency. It teaches us to avoid falling into the pit of overindulgence. For anything that is done excessively and
inadequately leads to doom. Living out of bounds, too much and too little, is to sin against reason. And to sin against
reason is the surest road to perdition.
To be a virtuous and well-integrated person therefore, one ought to constantly practice consciously the art
and skill of doing and having “just enough,” deliberately avoiding any form of extremes in one’s action, feeling, and
conduct. Of course this is easier said than done, but through diligence, persistence, and constant deliberate practice,
Aristotle believes, this king of balance is not impossible to achieve.
In ancient Greek thought, following in the tradition of Plato, there were four basic or cardinal virtues
(Mackinnon & Fiala 2015:152) These are prudence (or wisdom), justice, temperance, and courage. The virtue of
courage, for instance, can be understood as a mean or the middle ground between the two extremes of deficiency
and excess. If one has “too little” courage (kulang ng tapang), which is a vice . But too much of it, that is, being “too
courageous” (nasobrahan ng tapang), is foolhardiness.
Thus, “[w]hen facing danger or challenges [as in a battle] we should have neither too much fear (sobrang
takot)—which makes us unable to act—nor too little fear (Halos walang takot)—which makes us take reckless or
foolish risks (kagagohan). The virtue of courage [therefore] is having just the right amount of fear (Takot na
katamtaman lamang), depending on what is appropriate for us as individuals and for the circumstances we face”
(Mackinnon & Fiala 2015:152)
Having the virtue of courage then is to act rightly and reasonably at the right time, in the right place, at the
right person with the right reason, and at the right situation.

Browse these web links for a deeper knowledge on Virtue Ethics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkJnQkzIpjw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPV2KsWMRfc

Synthesis: Moral virtue, according to Aristotle, is a “state of character” which habitually acts according
to the middle measure that practical wisdom identifies as the moral choice that should be acted upon,
given the concrete situation that presents to the person. The goal of the virtue ethics is to promote the
maturity of the character of the person. Building a good character is a task and responsibility of every
person.

REFLECTION (Adapted from Fernandez, Ethics, 2018;187)

Apply the insights you’ve learned from Virtue Ethics to your own personal context, with
emphasis on the specific qualities you ought to develop in order for you to become a
person of VIRTUOUS CHARACTER.

What have I LEARNED in this module?

What have I DONE?

How can I IMPROVE?

ASSESSMENTS 1. Essay: Explain this phrase in line with Virtue Ethics:

“One’s doing creates being and one’s being precedes doing”.

2. Write a one-paragraph reflection on the line:

“A good human being is one that functions according to his essence. So what is the
essence of a human being? What makes him truly as one? What is his truest nature?”
 3. Objective Quiz: True or False

A. Aristopane is an ancient Greek thinker who is considered as the founder of Virtue

Ethics.
B. Virtue ethics is also known as “character ethics”.
C. Virtue ethics is mainly concerned on “What is the right thing to do?”
D. Virtue ethics is practically concerned with the whole question of “what kind of
person should I be?”
E. Virtue is a trait of character manifested in habitual action.
F. The virtue of honesty is possessed by someone who tells the truth occasionally or
only when it benefits her.
G. A person of character or a virtuous person is known not because of what he/she
does but because of what one is.
H. Virtue is something that they are born with and thus innate and not being acquired
and a product of effort.
I. For virtue ethics, a happy individual is one who lives in accordance with reason,
and each individual should develop the virtues that lead to this goal of achieving
the highest good through a life of moderation.
J. Aristotle’s ethics teaches the concept of the Golden Mean which is to live a good
and reasonable life through moderation.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Look for a newspaper or magazine article that features someone who is an exemplar of good character.
Why is he an exemplar. Write a one paragraph comment.

RESOURCES: Fernandez, Apolinar, et. al. 2018. Ethics: Deciding What’s Right and Wrong. SMKC
Printshoppe. Davao City.
Gallinero, Winston, et. al. 2018. Ethics. Mutya Publishing House, Inc. Malabon City.
Ocampo, Ma. Liza Ruth. 2018. Ethics Primer: A Young Person’s Guide to Moral
Reasoning. Vibal Group, Inc. Davao City.
Socias, James. 2007. Our Moral Life in Christ: A Complete Course. Midwest Theological
Forum. Woodridge, Illinois.