ETHICAL

THEORIES
“VIRTUE
ETHICS”
Learning Outcomes

a. Identify various ethical theories;

b. Evaluate the Virtue Ethics
Theory;
c. Apply Virtue Ethics Theory to
various situations in life;
d. Criticisms of Virtue Ethics
Topics:

1.Nature of Virtue Ethics;

2.Application of Virtue Ethics;
 Virtue Ethics

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.

https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/virtue-ethics
 Virtue Ethics
This character-based approach
to morality assumes that we
acquire virtue through practice.
According to Aristotle, by
honing virtuous habits, people
will likely make the right choice
when faced with ethical
challenges.

https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/virtue-ethics
Virtue
- Greek - “arete” = “excellence”.

- a habitual and firm disposition

to the good
Habits which enable us to lead
good moral lives, lives which
enable us to exist in harmony with
others in a manner pleasing to
God.
(Catechism of the Catholic Church)
Virtue
- It allows the person not only
to perform good acts, but to
give the best of himself.

- The virtuous person tends

toward the good with all his
sensory and spiritual powers,
he pursues the good and
chooses it in concrete action.

(Catechism of the Catholic Church)

The Four Cardinal Virtues
St. Thomas Aquinas

-Prudence
-Justice
-Fortitude
-Temperance

These principles derive initially from Plato.

St. Thomas Aquinas adapted them while
expanding on the Theological Virtues.
Prudence
– the virtue that disposes
practical reason to discern our
true good in every circumstance
and to choose the right means
of achieving it.

- It is right reason in action.

- Prudence immediately guides the
judgment of conscience.
Justice
– the moral virtue that consists in the
constant and firm will to give due
to God and neighbor.
- justice toward God is called
religion
- justices toward man disposes one
to respect the rights of each
and to establish in human
relationships the harmony that
promotes equity with regard to
persons and to the common
good.
Fortitude

– the moral virtue that ensures

firmness in difficulties and
constancy in the pursuit of the
good. It strengthens the resolve
to resist temptations and to
overcome obstacles in the
moral life.
Fortitude
- The virtue of fortitude enables
one to conquer fear, even fear
of death, and to face trials and
persecutions.
- It disposes one even to
renounce and sacrifice his life
in defense of a just cause.
Temperance

– the moral virtue that

moderates the attraction of
pleasures and provides balance
in the use of created goods.
Temperance
- It ensures the wills
mastery over instincts and
keeps the desires within the
limits of what is honorable.
- The temperate person
directs the sensitive
appetite towards what is
good, and maintains a
healthy discretion.
The Theological Virtues
Theological virtues are the
foundation of Christian moral
activity, to inform and give life
to all the moral virtues. They
are infused by God into the
souls of the faithful to make
them capable of acting as his
children and meriting eternal
life
The Three Theological Virtues

- Faith
- Hope
- Love/Charity
Faith
- the virtue by which we
believe in God and believe
all that he has said and
revealed to us, and that
Holy Church proposes for
our belief.
 Faith
- By faith man freely commits his
entire self to God, for this
reason the believer seeks to
know God and do his will.
- The man with faith is ready to
share the good news and the
love of God to others. He
expresses his faith through
action.
Hope

– the virtue by which we

desire the kingdom of
heaven and eternal life as
our happiness, placing our
trust in Christ’s promises and
relying not our own strength
but on the help of the grace
of the Holy Spirit.
Charity
– the virtue by which we
love God above all things
for his own sake and our
neighbor as ourselves for
the love of God.
A P P L I C AT I O N O F
VIRTUE ETHICS
Role of virtue ethics in business context:

Virtue ethics plays a vital role in the

world of business, because it
determined the moral behavior of a
person in the organization. A person
with a high degree of virtues behaves
well in the organization and makes
ethical choices for his or her action

https://www.slideshare.net/DavidMichael71/virtue-ethics-powerpoint-slide
Principles of those virtues are;
courage, wisdom, temperance,
fairness, integrity, and consistency.
Specifically those are moral virtues.
Possession of such virtues principles
by a worker ( a manager) in the
organization helps in achieving the
organizational goals. Thus, increases
the tendency of worker’s
performance in terms of, decision
making, planning, organizing and
controlling various resources in the
organization in an ethical manner.
https://www.slideshare.net/DavidMichael71/virtue-ethics-powerpoint-slide
C R E AT I V E D I S C U S S I O N :

- Ask the learners: “What does human need to achieve?”

- “What are the different ways of achieving our goals?”
- The role of virtues in achieving human goals
- How to develop virtues?
A S S E S S M E N T:
• Taking a paper-and-pencil test
• Video/Film analysis applying Virtue Ethics;
• Thought paper on their concept of right and wrong;
RESOURCES:

• Catechism of the Catholic Church

• K.H. Peschke, Christian Ethics
• Panza, Christopher et. al., “Ethics for Dummies”, Indiana: Wiley Publishing Inc., 2010.
• https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/virtue-ethics
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_virtues

• https://www.slideshare.net/DavidMichael71/virtue-ethics-powerpoint-slide
 THE POLICE ARRIVE AND ASK FOR YOUR VERSION OF
THE STORY.

• (DEONTOLGY) If you were to resolve this in a deontological way,

what do you say?

• (TELEOLOGY) If you were to resolve this in a teleological way,

what do you say?

• If you were a virtuous man, what will you say if the policeman asks
for your version of the story?
 VIRTUE ETHICS
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrvtOWEXDIQ
• Aristotle & Virtue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrvtOWEXDIQ&t=295sirtuehttps://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=PrvtOWEXDIQ&t=295s
• Aristotle & Virtue Theory: Crash Course Philosophy #38
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrvtOWEXDIQ
The Terminal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veSSJC6VzkA