+
Related Flashcards
Cards In This Set
| Front | Back |
|
What is a virtue?
|
An inner state attributable to a combination of health, beauty and strength of character. It is moral excellence, and the character traits that promote both individual and collective well being. These virtues have to be educated.
|
|
Name Plato's Original Virtues
|
Wisdom - judgement using reason. Courage- calculated risk taking. Self-control- use of will to overcome temptation.
|
|
What is the final goal of humanity and how is this reached?
|
Final telos of humanity is Eudaimonia (flourishing), which is reached through the practice of virtues. Everything is directed towards an aim. It is a state of happiness that involves flourishing. Human life is geared towards achieving a final purpose. This takes place in and out of the community and becoming virtuous is an ongoing process.
|
|
What does Arete mean?
|
Excellence
|
|
What is the Golden Mean?
|
A perfect level of virtue, between excess and deficiency.
|
|
Name the three levels of Eudaimonia and who features in these.
|
1) Pleasure- physical and spiritual pleasure achieved by masses/hedonists. 2) Honour- living and working for others, gained from doing civic duty, achieved by dignitaries/politicians. Community to serve. 3) Reflection/Contemplation- pursuit of knowledge found by Philosophers. Most likely to reach Eudaimonia.
|
|
What is reason?
|
Reason distinguishes humanity from the rest of creation, innate part of human beings, that is built upon through the use of the virtues. Reason is directed to the highest form of happiness, ad is used to work out how to live as all have the potential to be virtuous.
|
|
Name the four parts of the soul
|
Scientific, calculative desiderative and vegetative.
|
|
Name Homer's Virtues
|
Courage, cunning, friendship and physical strength.
|
|
Name the Cardinal Virtues
|
Hope, faith, charity, love, prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude.
|
|
Name Aristotle's Moral Virtues
|
Modesty, courage, truthfulness, patience, generosity, temperance, magnificence, righteous indignation, confidence, justice, friendliness, wittiness, proper ambition.
|
|
Name Aristotle's Intellectual Virtues
|
Technical skills, scientific skills, right judgement, intelligence, practical wisdom/phronesis/prudence.
|
|
Strengths of Aristotle's Ethics
|
NON NORMATIVE- Looks at what it means to be human. Flourish through own rules. Therefore flexible.CULTURALLY RELATIVE- No culture is superior therefore applies to both religious and secular society. Differing virtues between cultures.LIBERAL AND ACCEPTS MISTAKES- Takes into account the whole person and narrative of their life. Positive view of human nature.- Concerned with reform not the mistakes therefore realistic. HUMANISTIC- Does not need God to justify why it is moral.- Compassionate and aimed at the well being of the community as well as the individual.- Potential in Britain: rise in postmodernism and decline in religion.FITS WITH RELIGION- Aim to become Christ-like.- Compassion, faith, patience, love and forgiveness.
|
|
Weaknesses of Aristotle's Ethics
|
NON NORMATIVE- No clear rules: therefore subjective and cannot solve moral dilemmas. May make some events that are always wrong justifiable.ANCIENT VALUES- Differing to today's society. Not geared to contemplative minds. - Not easily adaptable to liberal democracies. JUDGEMENT- Difficult to decide who is virtuous on motives.- Demands timeFOOT- Sometimes the right thing is not good for me. Refutes claim that goodness is dependent on humanity. ELITIST- Aristotle claims a person who does not have a formal education cannot reach true morality because they have not had character building experiences. - Dependable on a strong community.
|
|
What is Phillipa Foot's ethics a response to?
|
Anscombe's critique.
|
