VIRTUE

ETHICS
 PRESENTATIO
N OUTLINE
Articulate the meaning and nature of Virtue Ethics
Distinguish deontology and consequentialism from
virtue ethics
To explain Eudaimonism as different from the Ethics
of Care and Agent - Based Theories
Describe Aristotle’s ethical points on the concept
of happiness , virtue, telos, and good habit
Use Aristotelian ethical frameworks or principles
to analyze moral experiences
A N INTRODUCTION
TO VIRTUE
ETHICS
A N INTRODUCTION
TO VIRTUE
ETHICS
 AN INTRODUCTION TO
VIRTUE ETHICS
GREEKS
OVERSHADOWED
D O M IC
NOAT
NEFD
U CI INOTUHSE
DEVELOPMENT OF WESTERN
MORAL PHILOSOPHY

V I R T U E E T H I C S IS G R O U N D E D
IN GREEK’S TRADITION,
W H I C H D E M O N S T R AT E S
THEORIES ESSENTIAL FOR
MORAL DEVELOPMENT.
 Vi r t u e Ethics Defined

IT E M P H A S I Z E S O N E ’ S NOT AN
PERSONALCHARACTER A CTIO N - B A SED ETH ICS B U T
IN MORAL THINKING. A PERSON- BASED ONE.

D O ES N O T PRO V ID E M O RA L
AGENT SPECIFIC
P R IN CIP LES TO
GU ID E ONE’ S
ACTION.
 Vi r t u e Ethics Defined

P R A C T I C A L W I S D O M IS A
CEN TR A L CA TEGO R Y TH A T
NO UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES
HELPS
IN D IV ID U A L
B ECO M E VIRTUOUS
 Vi r t u e Ethics Defined

D EO N TO LO GICA L CO N SEQ U EN TIA LIST

APPROACH APPROACH

V IR U TE ETH ICS
 Vi r t u e Ethics Defined

- IT D E A L S W I T H Q U E R I E S L I K E

W H A T K I N D O F LIFE S H O U L D I LIVE ?

W H A T IS A G O O D LIFE ?

H O W C A N I BE CONSISTENT IN M Y
M O R A L ACTIONS?
MAIN STRANDS OF
VIRTUE ETHICS
Ethics o f Care
Agent-Based Theory
 Eudaimonia

IT CO N SISTS O F TH E W O R D S " EU " " GO O D " A N D

" D A I M Ō N " " SPIRIT"

T R A N S L AT E S TO H U M A N F L O U R I S H I N G , "
THE G O O D LIFE", LIVING
WELL
 Eudaimonia
CO N STA N TLY SETTIN G N EW GO A LS

" P U R P O SE O F H U M A N LIV ES IS H U M A N
FLOURISHING"
 Eudaimonia
HIGHEST H U M A N GOOD

I F W E C A N C O U L D B E O U R B E S T S E LV E S I N
E A C H OF EVERY M O M E N T , W E W O U L D BE M O R E
C O N T E N T ,S A T I S F I E D , A N D F U L F I L L E D W I T H O U R
LIVES

W E C O U L D H AV E E V E RY M AT E R I A L I N THIS
W O R L D BUT THE SENSE OF F U L F IL L M E NT
W O U L D NOT BE THERE.
 ARISTOTLE'S
VIRTUE
ETHICS
 On Happiness
B EFO R E A R ISTO TLE D IED , H E GA V E
LECTURE ON ETHICS
CENTERS IN CONCEPT OF "EUDAIMONIA/HAPPINESS"
W R I T T E N IN: E U D E M I A N E T H I C S ~~> L A T E R DEVELOPED

IN N I C H O M A C H E A N ETHICS
OFFERS M O R A L PRINCIPLES O F C O N D U C T T H AT

G U I D E S U S I N AT TA I N I N G "GOOD LIFE"
 On Happiness
" IF W E FO CU S O N B EIN G GO O D
P EO P LE, RIGHT ACTIONS WILL
FOLLOW,
E F F O R T L E S S LY . "
" B Y B ECO M IN G A GO O D P ER SO N , YO U
WILL DO GOOD THINGS"
WHY SHOULD WE
BECOME A
VIRTUOUS
PERSON?
 BY BEING A VIRTUOUS
PERSON, W E CAN ACHIEVE
EUDAIMONIA

EUDAIMONIA

- STATE OF SERENE & P E R M A N E N T

HAPPINESS RATHER T H A N TEMPORARY
- BY EXERCISING OF G O O D A N D OF
VIRTUE
- STRIVING FOR SELF I M P R O V E M E N T
-
 Eudaimonia

"LIVING IN THE RIGHT K I N D OF PLACE &

B A L A N C I N G ACTIVITIES W I T H W I S D O M
ARE ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVE
EUDAIMONIA "
 Eudaimonia
"TO C H O O S E A C T I O N S W H I C H R E S U LT
I N H O N O R , W E A LT H , A N D P O W E R IS
D E F I N I T E LY PA R T O F M A N ' S
I N C L I N AT I N O TO SE EK F O R H A P P I N E S S
(AS PLEASURE ) B U T U N F O R T U N AT E LY
THIS COULD N O T BE THE E N D W H I C H
OFFERS TRUE HAPPINESS"
 Eudaimonia

" O R D I N A R Y E N D S C A N N O T S U S TA I N
AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS"
 Eudaimonia

"FOR ARISTOTLE, O N LY V I RT U O U S ACTS

CAN LEAD A M A N TO WA R D S LIVING
T H E G O O D LIFE O R H A P P I N E S S "
 Concept o f V i r t u e
"ETHICAL T H E O R Y T H AT E M P H A S I Z E S

AN INDIVIDUAL'S CHARACTER

R AT H E R T H A N F O L L O W I N G A SET O F

RULES."
Concept o f V i r t u e

"PROPER FUNCTIONING"
 Concept o f V i r t u e

" H A V IN G V IR TU E JU ST M E A N S D O IN G TH E
R IG H T TH IN G , A T T HE
R I G H T W A Y , I N T HREI GR HI G
T H T A M O U N T,
TIME IN
T O W A R D THE RIGHT PEOPLE."
THE
 Concept o f V i r t u e

" T H E R E ' SN O N E E D T O B E
SPECIFIC."
 Concept o f V i r t u e

" R I G H T A C T I O N IS A L W A Y S THE
M I D P O I N T OF T W O EXTREMES ."
 Concept o f V i r t u e

" V IR TU E IS A A W AY OF
L ISV KI NI LGL, , A N D T H A T ' S S O M E T H I N G
TH A T O N L Y R EC
A AL L
NY B E
LEA R N ED TH R O U G H
EXPERIENCE ."
Concept o f V i r t u e

"PRACTICAL WISDOM"
Concept o f V i r t u e

"M O R A L EXEMPLARS"
Concept o f V i r t u e

"VIRTUE"
 Moral Vi r t u e as Good
Habit
M O R A L A G E N T C A N O N LY AT TA I N H A P P I N E S S B Y B E I N G
C O N S I S T E N T LY L I V I N G A G O O D LIFE O R A C T I N G H A B I T U A L LY I N

ACCORDANCE TO THE GOOD.

G O O D H A B I T IS I N S T R U M E N TA L T O T H E D E V E L O P M E N T O F
V I R T U E B E C A U S E IT IS C O N S I D E R E D T O B E C O N S I S T E N T PAT T E R N

FOR DO IN G VIRTUOUS ACTIONS.

ARISTOTLE WRITES “WE A R E A D A P T E D BY N AT U R E TO RECEIVE

THESE VIRTUES A N D A R E M A D E PERFECT BY HABIT.”
 Moral Vi r t u e as Good
Habit
2 S TA G E S OF THE F O R M AT I O N OF VIRTUE O R G O O D HABIT
FIRST, H A B I T O F C O N T E M P L A T I O N
SECOND, HABIT OF THE ACTUAL PRACTICE OF M O R A L
VIRTUE

H E I D E G G E R I A N J A R G O N “ W E N E E D T O AT T U N E O U R S E LV E S T O
VIRTUE ALL THE TIME”

T H E H A B I T U A T I O N O F V I R T U E N E C E S S I TAT E S T H E D E L I B E R AT E
R E P E T I T I O N O F D O I N G V I R T U O U S A C T I O N C O N S I S T E N T LY T O
INCREASE THE DEGREE OF M O R A L VIRTUES UNTIL PERFECTION

IS AT TA I N E D .
 REFERENCE
People.
retrieved from https://
S
S c o t t H. Young (2007, A u g u s t 7) T h e C r i t i c a l 7 R u l e s To U n d e r s t a n d

w w w. s c o t t h y o u n g . c o m / b l o g / 2 0 0 7 / 0 8 / 2 8 / t h e - c r i t i c a l - 7 - r u l e s -
to-understand-people/
Rose, Todd(2018, O c t o b e r 30) How c a n y o u u n c o v e r y o u r b e s t s e l f ?
S t a r t by judging o t h e r people.
Retrieved from https://ideas.ted.com/how-can-you-uncover-your-
best-self-start-by-judging-other-people-really/
(2013) Is i t r e l e v a n t w h a t o t h e r people t h i n k o f you? R e t r i e v e d f r o m
https://performance-1.co.uk/is-it-irrelevant-what-other-people-
think-of-you/
Austin, Michael. (2014, November 14) T h e H a b i t Model o f Moral
Development.
R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p s : / / w w w. p s y c h o l o g y t o d a y. c o m / u s / b l o g / e t h i c s -
e v e r y o n e / 2 0 1 4 11 / t h e - h a b i t - m o d e l - m o r a l - d e v e l o p m e n t ?
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