G-SOSC004

ETHICS
FINAL CHAPTER 7: ARISTOTLE AND ST. THOMAS - VIRTUE ETHICS

MODULE OVERVIEW

This module discusses two of the most important moral frames or standards in this course; the
virtue and natural law . Virtue ethics is a moral theory that emphasizes the role of an individual's
character and virtues in evaluating the rightness of actions.

Virtue ethics teaches:

1. An action is only right if it is an action that a virtuous person would carry out in the same
circumstances.
2. A virtuous person is a person who acts virtuously.
3. A person acts virtuously if they "possess and live the virtues"
4. A virtue is a moral characteristic that a person needs to live well.

Natural law ethics on the other states that human beings possess intrinsic values that govern our
reasoning and behavior. It is a theory in ethics and philosophy that says that human beings possess
intrinsic values that govern their reasoning and behavior.

VIRTUE ETHICS

Virtue ethics is the name given to a modern revival and revision of Aristotle's ethical thinking.
Aristotle’s ethics, while not generally thought of as consequentialist, is certainly teleological.

For him, the telos, or purpose, of a human life is to live according to reason. This leads to
‘happiness’ in the sense of human flourishing. This flourishing is achieved by the habitual practice of
moral and intellectual excellences, or ‘virtues’. For Aristotle, the excellences are of two types. A moral
virtue is an excellence of character, a ‘mean’ between two vices. One of Aristotle’s virtues is courage,
a mean between recklessness and cowardice, which are vices.

Modern virtue ethics sets itself the task of discerning the virtues for our time. In a healthcare
setting what virtues would we like doctors, nurses, etc. to possess - self-control, truthfulness,
generosity, compassion, discernment, integrity Aristotle also identified a second type of excellences,
intellectual virtues, which constitute a preference for truth over falsehood and for clarity over muddle,
both in pure reason and in practical affairs. Both the moral and intellectual virtues are, for Aristotle, the
expression of reason.

Virtue ethics - in which quality of character is the determiner of morality. It's most famous
incarnation is Aristotelian ethics, in which the highest moral good is the possession of certain characters
traits. However, one is supposed to have these traits in moderation. See the chart below:

ARISTOTLE’S CONCEPT OF THE GOLDEN MEAN

DEFICIENCY (-) BALANCE EXCESS (+)
Cowardice Courage Rashness
Stinginess/Miserliness Generosity Extravagance
Sloth Ambition Greed
Humility Modesty Pride
Secrecy Honesty Loquacity
Moroseness Good Humor Absurdity
 Quarrelsomeness Friendship Flattery
Self-indulgence Temperance Insensibility
Apathy Composure Irritability
Indecisiveness Self-control Impulsiveness

INTRO: VIRTUE ETHICS

“Virtues” are the good qualities of humankind. They constitute the good inner character of a
person.

Specifically, virtues are some of our good and stable habits that shape our character, guide us
to do good, and lead us to a better life. For example, you have developed the habit of “handling difficult
or even dangerous tasks with perseverance.” Moreover, you always handle tasks this way instead of
only once in a while. Then, you already have the virtue of “courage”.

Well-known examples of virtue are honesty, compassion, fairness, temperance, responsibility,

prudence, courage, generosity and so on, while filial piety and loyalty are traditional Chinese virtues.

Virtue is a good human quality, so it is a kind of value. Virtue is a unique form of value because
it is limited to the quality of human character and does not even include the individual human acts.
Therefore, we will not refer to non-human beings or things as virtuous.

On the contrary, “vices” are undesirable qualities. Specifically, people who have a vice have
developed an undesirable habit.

Examples of vice are lies, cheating, selfishness, retaliation, jealousy, and more. When we
learned the theory of value, we understood that the things that we call “good” or “good” are valuable.

Virtue ethics is a philosophy developed by Aristotle and other ancient Greeks. It is the quest to
understand and live a life of moral character.

Virtue theorists believe that actions are manifestation of inner qualities. Good people do good
acts because they have good character; bad people do bad acts because they have bad character.

This character-based approach to morality assumes that we acquire virtue through practice. By
practicing being honest, brave, just, generous, and so on, a person develops an honorable and moral
character. According to Aristotle, by honing virtuous habits, people will likely make the right choice
when faced with ethical challenges.

To illustrate the difference among three key moral philosophies, ethicists Mark White and Robert
Arp refer to the film The Dark Knight where Batman has the opportunity to kill the Joker.

Utilitarians, White and Arp suggest, would endorse killing the Joker. By taking this one life,
Batman could save multitudes.

Deontologists, on the other hand, would reject killing the Joker simply because it’s wrong to kill.

But a virtue ethicist “would highlight the character of the person who kills the Joker. Does Batman
want to be the kind of person who takes his enemies’ lives?” No, in fact, he doesn’t.
So, virtue ethics helps us understand what it means to be a virtuous human being. And it gives us a
guide for living life without giving us specific rules for resolving ethical dilemmas.

INTRO: ST THOMAS' NATURAL LAW ETHICS

St. Thomas’ natural law ethics is based on the Aristotelian principle that everything in the world,
is organized in a teleological fashion, i.e., everything has a goal or purpose.

Nevertheless, this creates difficulty for those who do not accept the existence of a Creator or a
Divine Planner. This creates difficulty in the acceptance of the Natural Law Ethics of St. Thomas for
those who do not believe in the Divine Planner.

Moreover, the ethics of St. Thomas is also based on the principle of synderesis ( "Synderesis"
is a technical term from scholastic philosophy, signifying the innate principle in the moral consciousness
of every person which directs the agent to good and restrains him from evil.1) and conscience.

According to St. Thomas, this conscience is innate in a human being who was created in the
image and likeness of God. Thus, being created in the image and likeness of God, human beings will
always be geared towards goodness.

St Thomas Aquinas’s moral philosophy sees the basic moral norms (like the golden rule and the
wrongness of stealing, murder and etc.) as fixed and unchangeable, although they can be applied
differently to different cultural situations. Human laws are set up to promote the good and must accord
with natural law. The first precept of natural law is that good is to be done and pursued, and evil is to
be avoided. We can know what is good by investigating our natural (rational) inclinations.

NATURAL LAW ETHICS

Thomas Aquinas’s version of this theory says that we all seek out what’s known as the basic
goods and argued that instinct and reason come together to point us to the natural law.