This document discusses virtue ethics and how it differs from other ethical frameworks. Virtue ethics argues that people should focus on becoming virtuous over time through practicing virtues like honesty, courage, compassion, and integrity, rather than focusing primarily on following moral rules or principles. It holds that virtues allow humans to fully develop their potential and work towards ideals of excellence and contributing to the greater good.
This document discusses virtue ethics and how it differs from other ethical frameworks. Virtue ethics argues that people should focus on becoming virtuous over time through practicing virtues like honesty, courage, compassion, and integrity, rather than focusing primarily on following moral rules or principles. It holds that virtues allow humans to fully develop their potential and work towards ideals of excellence and contributing to the greater good.
This document discusses virtue ethics and how it differs from other ethical frameworks. Virtue ethics argues that people should focus on becoming virtuous over time through practicing virtues like honesty, courage, compassion, and integrity, rather than focusing primarily on following moral rules or principles. It holds that virtues allow humans to fully develop their potential and work towards ideals of excellence and contributing to the greater good.
The main point I took away from this topic was that for some people, the
question is "What should I do?" or "How should I act?" ethics is supposed to
provide us with "moral principles" or universal rules that tell us what to do. Virtue ethics is teleological because it argues that we should practice being good or virtuous people over time. Moral principles like these focuses primarily on people's actions and doings. We "apply" them by asking what these principles require of us in particular circumstances, for example, when we are considering whether to lie or commit suicide. We also apply them when we ask what they require of us as professionals, for example, lawyers, doctors, or business people, or what they require of our social policies and institutions. According to "virtue ethics", there are certain ideals, such as excellence or dedication to the common good, toward which we should strive and which allow the full development of our humanity. These are discovered through thoughtful reflection on what we, as human beings, have the potential to become. "Virtues" are attitudes, dispositions, or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop this potential. They enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted. Honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are all examples of virtues.