VIDEO MATERIAL 1 1

What is virtue ethics?

Virtue ethics

- is one of the major approaches in NORMATIVE ETHICS

- it is viewed as an approach to ethics that emphasizes the person’s trait or character in moral
thinking.

Trait or character

- is central to virtue ethics in contrast to the other approaches that emphasizes

1. the consequences of an action (as in the case of consequentialism)

2. the rules or duties (as in the case of deontological ethics)

What makes virtue ethics distinct from DEONTOLOGY and CONSEQUENTIALISM is that:

- It does not provide the moral agent with specific principles or rules to guide her actions

Aristotelian ethics with which most virtue ethicists drew inspiration is that:

PRACTICAL WISDOM is a central category that helps individuals become virtuous.

Virtue ethics deals with broader questions like:

 What kind of life should I live?

 What is the good life?
 How can I be consistent in my moral actions?

Instead of questions like:

 What ought I do? (as in the case of DEONTOLOGY)

 Will my actions produce greater happiness to the greater number of people in society? (as in the
case of CONSEQUENTIALISM)

Virtue ethics

- In general, does not particularly deal with the: RIGHTNESS or WRONGNESS of specific actions
- With the aid of PRACTICAL WISDOM it guides the moral agents in seeking the GOOD.
3 major forms of virtue ethics taken by contemporary theorists:

 Ethics of care
 Agent-based theories
 Eudaemonist virtue ethics

The nature and dynamics of VIRTUE ETHICS can be properly understood through these 3 main forms.

Ethics of care

- Hold the idea that a moral action centers on: SOCIAL and ENVIRONMENTAL relationship

CARE or KINDNESS is considered as the “main virtue”

CARE=is a central category in determining the moral worth of human actions

MICHAEL SLOTE
- A famous ethics professor at the UNIVERSITY of MIAMI said that:
- Caring is the primary virtue and that a morality based on the motive of caring can offer a general
account of right and wrong action.

Hence, the motive in developing man’s moral practices

=care is the primary virtue

 Is clearly the main objective of the ethics of care

The ETHICS OF CARE

 examines moral practices and values focuses on MORAL DEVELOPMENT

 this is made possible through THE REFORMATION OF PRACTICES rather than THE USE OF
REASON
 this notion of: REFORMATION OF PRACTICES which is to be nurtured and developed into a:
VIRTUE = is the primary concern of the ETHICS OF CARE

AGENT BASED THEORIES

 are unitary normative theories

 views the status of ACTIONS
o as entirely dependent upon the moral status of an agent’s motives and character

MICHAEL SLOTE said that:

A warm agent-based virtue ethics puts a fundamental emphasis on a person’s motve and, more
particularly, on a person’s overall morally relevant motivation. Say for example, an act is morally
acceptable if and only if it comes from good or virtuous motivation involving benevolence or caring
(about the well being of other) or at least doesn’t come from bad or inferior motivation involving malice
or indifference to humanity.

An action is RIGHT = if it expresses a virtuous motive or at least does not exhibit a malicious intention
from the agent.

EUDAIMONIST VIRTUE ETHICS

EUDAIMONISM

- from the GREEK WORD = EUDAIMONIA which can be translated as: HAPPINESS, WELL-BEING,
THE GOOD LIFE
- HAPPINESS or THE GOOD LIFE
-is the higher goal of man which can be achieved by a lifetime or actively exercising
moral virtues or ARETE

According to ARISTOTLE to enhance moral virtue we need PHRONESIS or PRACTICAL WISDOM which
can resolve any concurrent ethical problem.

Indeed, with MORAL VIRTUE human life would attain: EUDAIMONIA, the happiness which should be
seen as a : FINAL END and not as a:
SUBJECTIVE STATE characterized by the seemingly well-lived life irrespective of the emotional state of
the person experiencing it.

EUDAIMONIST VIRTUE ETHICS

Is concern with the eternal goodness

And not depending on the contingent recurrence of certain actions

It emphasizes the entire development of a: MORAL PERSON that is to become HOLISTICALLY GOOD as
she reaches the point of ultimate end.
VIDEO MATERIAL 2