ARISTOTELIAN

VIRTUE ETHICS

HOW TO LIVE A FLOURISHING LIFE?

Presented by: Group 3
 ARISTOTELIAN
PHILOSOPHY AND THE
PLACE OF VIRTUE
ETHICS IN IT
PLACE OF VIRTUE
ETHICS IN IT
Aristotle attempts to identify what are
characteristics of human being that
differentiate it from other species
Every species has its own role in the
universe
It is the fulfilling its role well what
defines what is the ultimate good of
that thing or animal
 WHAT IS
HAPPINESS?
 HAPPINESS
When one does what one is
supposed to do, one fills
fulfillment.
In other words, when one is
what one is supposed to be, one
is happy
Happiness / satisfaction is
considered to be a good thing
In fact, happiness is the ONLY
thing in the sense that we don't
want it for the sake of another
thing (as a thing) but for its own
sake.
THE ANIMAL CALLED
"HUMAN BEING"
There are natural criteria for judging
whether the act leads to happiness
(eudamonia) to misery
These criteria are defined by what the
human being (as a species) is
By observing, what makes a human
being happy and what makes them
suffer, one can find what acts are
virtuous
 KEY CONCEPT OF
ARISTOTELIAN VIRTUE
ETHICS
ERGON (FUNCTION) ARÊTE (EXCELLENCE OR VIRTUE
EUDAIMONIA (FLOURISHING) PHRONESIS (PRACTICAL OR
MORAL WISDOM)
ARGON
It consists in activity of the rational
part of the soul in accordance with
virtue
The soul is analyzed into a connected
series of capacities: nutritive soul is
responsible for growth and
reproduction, the locomotive soul for
motion, the perceptive soul for
perception, and so on.
Human beings are the only species
that has not only lower capacities but
a rational soul as well
3 KINDS OF SOUL

PLANT SOUL - capacity for

reproduction and nourishment
ANIMAL SOUL - capacities of
perception and self-motion
INTELLECTUAL SOUL -
capacity to reason
EUDAIMONIA

translated as "flourishing", "happiness"

or well-being
Connotes something which . is
subjectiveley determined. It is for me,
not for you, to pronounce on whether I
am happy
EUDAIMONIA- THE
TRUE HAPPINESS
is a moralised or “value-laden”
concept of happiness,
something like “true” or “real”
happiness or “the sort of
happiness worth seeking or
having.”
 IS SOMETHING ELSE THAN
VIRTUES NEEDED IN ORDER
TO ACHIEVE EUDAIMONIA?
External Goods:

Health
Wealth
Friends
Functional Society
HAPPINESS AND
FRINDSHIP
friendship is one of the most important
virtues in achieving the goal of
eudaimonia (happiness)
While there are different kinds of
friendship, the highest is one that is
based on virtue (arête)
THE SUPREME VALUE
OF FRIENDSHIP
Friendship based on virtue is long
lasting and tough to obtain because
these types of people are hard to come
by and it takes a lot of work to have a
complete, virtuous friendship
Friendship seems to be so valued by
people that no one would choose to
live without friends.
Aristotle believes that the love of
friendship is greater than this because
it can be enjoyed as it is.
 VIRTUE ( ARETE )
What makes virtue a virtue that promotes eudaimonia?

Eudaimonism Pluralism
The good life is the morally
The virtues are what
meritorious life, the morally
enable a human being to
meritorious life is one that is
be eudaimon
responsive to the demands of
the world.

Perfectionism
The good life is the life
characteristically lived by
someone who is good
human being.
 VIRTUE ( ARETE )

Arete could be translated “excellence”

Virtue is more “general” in nature: it enables its
possessor to evaluate things in an appropriate
way so that one has a result of this virtue such
as right kinds of emotions, attitudes, desires,
perceptions, expectation and sensibilities.
 PHRONESIS- AN
IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF
PRACTICAL REASON
Phronesis is something that the
virtuous morally mature adult has
that nice children, including nice
adolescent.
Both have good intentions, but the
child is much more prone to mess
things up because he is ignorant of
what he needs to know in order to do
what he intends
THE ANIMAL CALLED “HUMAN
BEING”

There are natural criteria

for judging whether the
act is leads to happiness
(eudaimonia) to misery
SOCRATES, PLATO, ARISTOTLE
AND ALLEGEDLY EVERYBODY
AGREE ON THAT

EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE GOOD ( EUDAIMONIA

) LIFE
HUMAN BEING IS A GOAL-
DIRECTED SYSTEM

AS THE HUMAN BEING WANTS TO HAVE GOOD

( EUDAIMONIA ) LIFE.
FAILURE AND SUCCESS
 FAILURE
People who fail to achieve the goal,
do so because their soul are not in
balance.
The unbalanced soul strives for
wrong things in the way in the
guidance of uncontrolled and
distorted desire.
SUCCESS
The good life can only be achieved
by striving for the best thingsin the
right way.
The best things are truth, goodness,
and beauty.
THE ARISTOTELIAN MEAN
 VIRTUE IS A “GOLDEN MEAN” BETWEEN THE
EXTREMES OF EXCESS AND DEFICIENCY

COURAGE BENEVOLENCE

• BENEVOLENCE IS A
IS A MEAN REGARDING MEAN BETWEEN GIVING
THE FEELING OF FEAR, TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T
BETWEEN THE DESERVE IT AND NOT
DEFICIENCY OF GIVING TO ANYONE AT
RASHNESS AND THE ALL.
EXCESS OF COWARDICE
CRITICISM AGAINST VIRTUE

VIRTUE ETHICS DOESN’T PROVIDE

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES THAT WOULD
AMOUNT INTO DECISION PROCEDURE FOR
DETERMINING WHAT TO DO
THE PROBLEM OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM •

DIFFERENT CULTURES EMBODY DIFFERENT VIRTUES, AND

HENCE WHAT IS VIRTUOUS IS RELATIVE TO PARTICULAR
CULTURE. THEREFORE, ONE TYPE CAN OF ACTION CAN BE
BOTH RIGHT AND WRONG DEPENDING ON THE CULTURE
TWO KINDS OF VIRTUES
 INTELLECTUAL VIRTUES
ARE THE DEEP PERSONAL QUALITIES OR
CHARACTER STRENGTHS OF A GOOD THINKER
OR LEARNER.

THEORETICAL
INTELLIGENCE (NOUS) PRACTICAL WISDOM.
 MORAL VIRTUES

A MORAL VIRTUE IS THE ABILITY TO BE REASONABLE IN ACTIONS, DESIRES AND

EMOTIONS

A VIRTUE IS THE MEAN BETWEEN TWO EXTREMES, A VICE OF DEFICIENCY AND A

VICE OF EXCESS.
Thank You
for listening!